Timothy Browne

Timothy J. Browne

Partner
Tim Browne focuses his practice on the sports and entertainment industry, advising clients nationally on matters involving professional and collegiate sports, media, entertainment, technology, and marketing and advertising issues. A former in-house counsel at the National Basketball Association’s league office, Tim counsels clients on complex business, and strategic transactions as well as the acquisition, protection, and distribution of various forms of intellectual property.

In his diverse national practice, Tim has advised on the acquisition and sale of professional sports teams, including negotiating multiple expansion bids for clients in professional men’s and women’s soccer, as well as evaluating new sports league opportunities. Tim also assists clients in developing and monetizing large-scale live events and related productions. He has worked on digital and linear content licenses and distribution agreements for sports and entertainment properties, athlete and talent endorsement agreements (including NIL transactions and related matters). 

Tim has counseled professional leagues, teams and media companies on a variety of commercial transactions, particularly sponsorship, marketing and technology agreements, including venue-naming rights transactions for arenas and stadiums. Tim also acts as outside general counsel for a range of entities – from restaurant operators and advertising agencies to production companies and app developers. 

For more than a decade, Tim served as in-house counsel at the National Basketball Association (NBA) league office in New York. He was vice-president of legal and business affairs and co-head of the Media Legal Group, where he focused on broadcast and digital media, events, entertainment and content distribution transactions.

An active member of the Nashville community (including through coaching a variety of youth sports teams), Tim has an expansive pro bono practice and has represented various entrepreneurs, artists, creators and minority-owned businesses.

Credentials

Education

  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 2001
  • Harvard University, B.A., 1996

Bar Admissions

  • Tennessee, 2018
  • New York, 2002
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