Club is the 20th Expansion Proskauer has Handled for MLS
NEW YORK, May 22, 2023 – Proskauer, a leading international law firm, announced today that it advised Major League Soccer, L.L.C. (MLS) on the League's expansion to San Diego. The San Diego club marks the thirtieth (30th) team in the League and the twentieth (20th) expansion transaction that Proskauer has handled for MLS. The San Diego club will begin League play in 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium, a 35,000-seat venue located on San Diego State University's campus that is currently home to the National Women's Soccer League's San Diego Wave FC and a host venue for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.
The club will be owned by Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. Mansour is an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist with deep, global ties in the soccer world. The Sycuan Tribe, one of 12 Kumeyaay tribes in San Diego County, becomes the first Native American tribe to have an ownership stake in professional soccer in the U.S. with its investment into the club. Also joining the investor group is six-time Major League Baseball All-Star and San Diego Padres infielder Manny Machado.
The Proskauer team was led by partners Jon Oram, Jason Krochak and Christine Lazatin, special sports counsel Andrew Nightingale, associates Theresa Smith, Nicholas Urban, Eric Zilber and Arthur Burke (Sports Law); partners Bradley Ruskin and Scott Cooper and senior counsel Scott Eggers (Commercial Litigation); and partner Amanda Nussbaum and associate Muhyung (Aaron) Lee (Tax).
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For more than 55 years, Proskauer has advised the world's premier sports organizations on their most critical and complex matters. Our lawyers play a pivotal role in the transactions, negotiations and litigations that are at the leading edge of the business of sports.