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A Day in the Life: Management Attorney

Howard L. Ganz
Partner
Proskauer Rose LLP

8:15 a.m.: I arrive at the office; check my voice mail (already two messages) and e-mail. I begin attempting to get through index of cases recently filed in local federal and state courts to see if any deserve attention. I also review Sports Business Daily for recent developments, spotting a brief reference to SDNY decision in case brought by football player who was injured by penalty flag thrown by referee and asked litigation support office to secure copy of decision.

8:45 a.m.: Attend an internal meeting to plan an annual CLE program we run for sports law clients (what subjects to cover, who should be presenters, what did we learn from evaluation submitted with respect to last year's program).

9:30 a.m.: Prepare for and attend meeting at sports client to discuss status of collective bargaining negotiations and future strategy.

12:30 p.m.: Return to office and have lunch at desk. Check voice mail and e-mail and respond to messages. Begin to review responses to interrogatories and document requests in case in which the former general counsel of the baseball umpires' union that was decertified in NLRB election alleges that our employer-client tortiously interfered with his retainer agreement with that union. Confer with a colleague who has drafted responses.

1:45 p.m.: Telephone call with entertainment industry client with respect to completion of EEO-1 forms.

2:00 p.m.: Review the transcript of most recent hearing in long-running arbitration brought by baseball players' union. Begin work on outlines of testimony for witnesses to be called.

3:00 p.m.: Telephone call with an adversary to discuss possible settlement of case involving allegedly wrongful termination of former executive at insurance industry client. Telephone call with my client to report progress. Send e-mails to other lawyers working on matter to give them an update.

3:15 p.m.: Review notes on interviews conducted in connection with investigation into alleged misconduct of senior executive at entertainment industry client. Edit draft report of findings and conclusions.

4:30 p.m.: Meet with first-year associate to provide interim evaluation; prepare memo summarizing conversation.

5:15 p.m.: Telephone call with lawyers from NBA with respect to interpretation of collective bargaining agreement with players' union.

5:30 p.m.: Telephone call with adversary in a case in which we are representing executive of publishing industry client who seeks payment under "change in control" agreement with former employer. We discuss possible mediation of the dispute.

5:45 p.m.: I review recent decision involving injured football player; prepare memo summarizing decision for various sports clients.

6:30 p.m.: Catch up on e-mails.

6:45 p.m.: I review draft of press release to be issued by sports client with respect to ongoing collective bargaining negotiations. Make proposed edits, fax edited version back to the client and follow up with a telephone call to the client.

7:15 p.m.: Attend party honoring senior human resources official of broadcasting company client upon his retirement.

10:00 p.m.: I go home. Check office voice mails and e-mails, deciding that all can wait until morning.

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