The Sheppard Mullin Sports Team has recently represented San Francisco-basedThe Town FCin a first of its kind transaction between a Major League Soccer (MLS) club and a local commercial partner. The firm acted for The Town FC in a sequence of transactions to launch the new professional soccer organization in the East Bay of San Francisco, including representing the team during its negotiations with MLS (with waivers) and the San Jose Earthquakes. Under this arrangement, The Town FC will serve as the commercial agent for the Earthquakes, and the Earthquakes' second team, previously known as Earthquakes II, will be rebranded as The Town FC and will participate in the MLS Next Pro league, the second division of MLS. The deal will serve as a blueprint for other MLS clubs aiming to reduce costs associated with operating a reserve team and broaden their market reach beyond their primary market area.
Additionally, Sheppard Mullin represented the team in
negotiations with Saint Mary's College to host its home matches
in the college's stadium, which involved making certain capital
improvements to the stadium. The Town FC played its first match in
MLS Next Pro on Sunday, March 17thand was broadcast on
Apple TV.
The Sheppard Mullin team was led by Brian Anderson and included
Brittany Walter, Annie Alvarado, and Aaron Sobaski.
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