Ellen M. Zavian, Esq.

Professor Ellen M. Zavian began her career in sports when she was a student at the University of Maryland where she worked in the university’s intramural sports and recreation department while working at the Maryland Race Tracks in the promotional department on weekends. While earning her law degree, she interned at the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Soon after graduation, she became the first female attorney/agent in the NFL. She has represented the US Women’s Soccer and, Softball gold medalists and extreme athletes, collectively, and held the title of Commissioner for the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (NCAA). She served as coordinator for the NFLPA’s Native American project; is a nationally recognized journalist, and a court expert in licensing/sports agreements. She has served on many sports related committees, including the DC Bar’s Arts, Entertainment, Media and Sports Section and co-created the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Sports & Entertainment committee. She teaches sports/event law at George Washington University’s business school while serving her clients in the sports industry and conducting arbitrations. She also teaches entrepreneurship and leadership, with a focus on start-ups, while creating the United Breakin Association, a global association for competitive break dancers and worked was instrumental of creating the movement to get break dancing into the Olympics (Paris 2024) Currently, she is working within the esports space, as the Editor-in-Chief of Esportsandthelaw.com and mylegalbookie.com as well as launching an esportslawshow.com podcast. Her board positions are vast, serving as advisor with Spry, an NIL platform, Board of Trustee for Safe Sports International, and a member of USA Dance NGB Task Force, to name a few.

Appeared on all major networks, Cable, Radio, domestic and internationally. For example: CNN, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, etc...

Sub-specialties:
EdTech
Intellectual Property/NIL
Esports
Negotiations
Olympics/Collegiate/Pro