Dennis Coleman was a partner at the firm until 2018 and then served as senior counsel until 2025. Dennis founded Ropes & Gray’s sports practice and led a nationwide sports, media, and entertainment practice while at the firm. He represented a variety of sports industry clients, such as the National Football League, the Boston Red Sox, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and a variety of head football and basketball coaches and broadcasters in contract, sponsorship, and endorsement matters. Dennis’s clients included over 50 Division 1 head coaches in basketball and football, including Ed Cooley of Providence College and Johnny Dawkins of University of Central Florida. Dennis also represented Jim Caldwell, former head coach of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions, and Hall of Famer Tony Dungy, who is a sportscaster at NBC Sports and former head coach of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.
In addition, Dennis worked regularly with partners across the firm to solve complex problems for sports industry clients, such as compliance and enforcement issues with government enforcement partners and intellectual property and licensing issues with IP partners.
Experience
- Negotiated one of the first ever “Succession Plan Contracts” in the NFL by negotiating the deal that took place when Jim Caldwell succeeded Tony Dungy following Dungy’s retirement as head coach of the Colts
- Represented Gillette in connection with the naming rights of Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots
- Represented The National Football League in a series of transactions as part of a repositioning of NFL On Location, its premium events and hospitality business. The NFL is partnering with Bruin Sports Capital and RedBird Capital Partners, who will invest growth capital and assume operational control of the business
- Currently serves as General Counsel to the National Association of Basketball Coaches, providing a wide range of advice on issues such as licensing, sponsorships, patent, trademarks, real estate, and contract negotiations