Kevin R. Schulz

Partner

Kevin R. Schulz focuses his practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and commercial transactions. He is a partner in the firm’s Transactional/M&A, Commercial Transactions & Business Counseling, and International Practices, as well as the Health Care & Life Sciences and Manufacturing Sectors, and the Food & Beverage Industry Team. He is co-chair of the firm’s Sports & Entertainment Group.

Kevin routinely represents buyers and sellers, both domestically and internationally, in mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, internal reorganizations, joint ventures, and other strategic alliances in a variety of industries, including professional sports, health care, food and beverage, consumer products, industrial equipment, manufacturing, and consulting services.

Representative Experience

M&A

  • Representing Advocate Aurora Health in its transformative combination with Atrium Health, resulting in Advocate Health, the fifth largest not-for-profit health care system in the nation.
  • Representing Aurora Health Care in its merger with Advocate Health Care, resulting in Advocate Aurora Health, the tenth largest not-for-profit health care system in the nation.
  • Representing a major aviation technology manufacturer in its acquisition of flight simulator projector technology.
  • Representing a precision device company in its acquisition of microwave filters company.
  • Representing the seller of a biodiesel facility.
  • Representing Aspirus Health in its acquisition of seven hospitals, 21 physician clinics, and air and ground medical transport services from Ascension.

Kevin also serves the role of outside general counsel for a number of private companies, routinely advising them in connection with a variety of commercial matters, including supply agreements, sales representative agreements, licensing arrangements, confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, employment agreements, consulting agreements, terms and conditions of sale and purchase, distribution of goods, and provision of services.

Sports Industry

Kevin also has extensive experience in the sports industry, where he advises sports clients (including professional sports teams, owners, and acquirers of professional sports teams, sports technology companies, colleges, sponsors, and media companies) in connection with a variety of M&A and commercial matters, including sales and acquisitions of professional sports franchises, licensing arrangements, promotional and advertising agreements, sponsorship and endorsement agreements, naming rights, joint ventures, ticketing arrangements, esports, stadium/arena service agreements, NFTs (non-fungible tokens), college multimedia rights agreements, NIL (name, image, and likeness), formation of regional sports networks (RSNs), and television, radio, over-the-top (OTT)/streaming, and media rights agreements.

  • Representing the principal owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, Mark Attanasio, and his investor group on their acquisition of a minority stake in English football (soccer) club Norwich City Football Club.
  • Representing Enterprise Holdings, Inc. in its naming rights deal with the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues for Enterprise Center.
  • Representing the Milwaukee Brewers in the acquisition of the team’s Class A Minor League Baseball affiliate the Carolina Mudcats.
  • Representing multiple major universities in their multimedia rights deals.
  • Representing the Milwaukee Bucks President and Owner Herbert Kohl in the US $550m sale of the basketball franchise to New York investment firm executives Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens, the then largest transaction ever in the NBA, including a requirement in the deal that the team be kept in Milwaukee, with the parties collectively pledging at least US $200m toward the development of a new arena.
  • Representing the owner of an NBA team in its internal reorganization aimed at separating non-sports entertainment properties from the NBA-related holdings, and also helping the team explore options for renovations to modernize the facility and find solutions for gaining public support of a renovation project.
  • Representing Guggenheim Baseball Management (the ownership group for the Los Angeles Dodgers) in the formation of American Media Productions, LLC (AMP), which launched a new regional sports network called SportsNet LA, and the related media rights agreement between the Dodgers and AMP, granting AMP the rights to air Dodgers games.
  • Representing Guggenheim Baseball Management, the group headed by Mark Walter, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Peter Guber, and Stan Kasten, the former president of the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals, among others, in the acquisition of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the then largest transaction ever for a professional sports franchise.
  • Representing Rangers Baseball Express (the investment group led by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan) in its acquisition of the Texas Rangers, a long and complex transaction that culminated in the sale of the club through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy auction.
  • Representing the Ricketts family in its acquisition of a controlling interest in the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field and a related ownership interest in a regional sports network, all through a complex leveraged partnership structure, the then single largest transaction ever for a North American sports franchise.
  • Representing the Milwaukee Brewers in the sale of the club to Mark Attanasio.
  • Representing the seller of a significant minority interest in the Cincinnati Bengals.
  • Representing San Diego Padres ownership in the team’s local telecast rights agreement and equity ownership in a regional sports network.
  • Representing other teams, media companies, and video game/esports entities in television, radio, over-the-top (OTT)/streaming, and media rights deals, including the Texas Rangers, the Green Bay Packers, the Milwaukee Brewers, Hi-Rez Studios, and a major diversified media company.

Awards and Recognition

  • Sports Business Journal, “Power Player” in Sports (2021)
  • Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the field of Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2016-2024)
  • Legal 500 for M&A/corporate and commercial – M&A – middle-market (sub-$500m) (2015-2017)
  • Legal 500 for Sports (2015-2018)
  • Leading Lawyers for Business, M Magazine (2014)
  • 40 Under 40 Recognition Award for Legal Advisor category, The M&A Advisor (2013)
  • Who’s Who Legal: Sports & Gaming (2021)
  • Who’s Who of Sports & Entertainment Lawyers, Who’s Who Legal (2013-2016, 2019, 2020)
  • Leading Lawyers for Mergers & Acquisitions, M Magazine (2013, 2015)
  • Wisconsin Super Lawyers – Rising Stars® list for Mergers & Acquisitions (2012-2014)
  • Recognized in Chambers in the field of Sports Law (2024)

Affiliations

  • Board of Advisors, Marquette University Law School’s National Sports Law Institute
  • Former Board Member, Law360 Sports Editorial Advisory Board (2017)
  • Member, Milwaukee Bar Association
  • Member, State Bar of Wisconsin
    • Business Law Section of State Bar of Wisconsin
  • Former Board Member, Sports & Entertainment Law Section of State Bar of Wisconsin
  • Business Law Section of American Bar Association
  • Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries of American Bar Association
  • Member, Sports Lawyers Association
  • Member, United Way of Greater Milwaukee Emerging Leaders
  • Member, The Edward Frederick Sorin Society (University of Notre Dame)

Presentations and Publications

  • Frequent speaker on M&A and sports law matters for national programs and universities, including Marquette University, Tulane University, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, University of California (Berkeley), University of Texas (Austin), Duke University, Cornell University, the Sports Lawyers Association (SLA) Annual Conference, and the Corporate Ticket Impact Conference (CTIC), among others
  • Author, “Bankruptcy of a Professional Sports Franchise and the Implications for the Franchise and Its Players,” DePaul Journal of Sports Law & Contemporary Problems (August 2012)
  • Author, “Due Diligence In Acquiring A Pro Sports Team,” Law360 (February 2011)
06 June 2024 Press Releases

Foley Achieves Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2024

Foley & Lardner LLP is pleased to announce that it is again recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the leading law firms in the country in the 2024 edition of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
21 September 2023 Deals and Wins

Foley Advises Knowles Corporation in Acquisition of Cornell Dubilier

Foley & Lardner LLP served as legal adviser to Knowles Corporation, a leading global supplier of high performance components and solutions, including ceramic capacitors and radio frequency filters, advanced medtech microphones, balanced armature speakers, and audio solutions, in entering a definitive agreement to acquire Cornell Dubilier.
17 August 2023 Honors and Awards

Foley Attorneys Recognized in 2024 Best Lawyers in America

Foley & Lardner LLP proudly announced today that 236 of the firm’s attorneys across 20 U.S. offices have received recognition in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.
12 May 2023 Events

Betting on Sports Betting – Current Industry Topics Facing Sports entities and Athletes

Foley partner and co-chair of the Sports & Entertainment Group, Kevin Schulz, moderated a panel entitled “Betting on Sports Betting – Current Industry Topics Facing Sports entities and Athletes” at the Sports Lawyers Association Annual Conference 2023 on May 12 in Los Angeles.
23 February 2023 Events

Marquette University Law School "Sports Law Speaker Series: Managing a Law Firm Sports & Entertainment Law Group"

Foley partner Kevin Schulz, a co-chair of the Sports & Entertainment Group, was invited to be the guest speaker at Marquette University Law School's Sports Management class on February 23.
21 October 2022 Press Releases

Foley Represents Milwaukee Brewers Owner in Minority Stake Acquisition of Norwich City FC

Foley & Lardner LLP served as primary deal counsel for chairman and principal owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, Mark Attanasio, and his investor group on their acquisition of a minority stake in English football (soccer) club Norwich City Football Club.