Ryan S. Davis

  1. People /

Ryan S. Davis

Ryan S. Davis

Partner

  1. People /

Ryan S. Davis

Ryan S. Davis

Partner

Ryan S. Davis

Partner

St. Louis

Office Managing Partner

T: +1 314 259 2818

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Biography

Ryan Davis is the managing partner of the Firm’s St. Louis office and a co-leader of the Firm’s Sports and Entertainment Group and maintains an active mergers & acquisitions, corporate and sports and entertainment practice. Mr. Davis is a transactional and business lawyer who regularly represents public and private company clients, private business owners, sports teams, owners, players and sponsors and a variety of other clients, with a particular focus in the financial services and sports and entertainment industries. He is recognized by Chambers USA as one of the leading sports attorneys in the United States and by The Best Lawyers in America as one of the leading mergers & acquisitions, corporate and sports attorneys in the country.

His sports and entertainment practice focuses on advising sports teams and their owners, players, sponsors and other business partners as well as other clients in the sports and entertainment industry in connection with their investments in and ownership of sports franchises, their naming rights, sponsorship (including jersey and gaming industry sponsorship), telecast rights, suite license, concession and other commercial agreements, their development and operation of entertainment districts and venues, their litigation matters and ongoing legal and business counseling.  His M&A and corporate counseling practice focuses on advising clients in connection with their merger, acquisition and divestiture transactions; their joint venture and other strategic transactions; their corporate governance and formation matters; their contractual matters; and their general business and securities law counseling matters. Mr. Davis has advised clients with respect to structuring, fiduciary duty and other corporate and securities law matters in connection with their merger, acquisition and divestiture transactions, joint venture and other strategic transactions and other investment transactions. 

Among other clients, Mr. Davis has provided legal counseling to Acrisure, LLC; Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.; Alticor Inc.; American Water Company; Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.; Banc of California; Bayer; CareVet Holdings, LLC; Coin Acceptors, Inc.; Comcast Spectacor; Delaware North Companies; DHL Supply Chain; Emerson Electric Co.; Enterprise Holdings, Inc.; ESCO Technologies Inc.; Fiserv, Inc.; U.S. Olympic Athlete Missy Franklin; Genesis Management and Insurance Services Corporation; Government Employees Health Association (GEHA); Hi-Rez Studios; HOF Village, LLC (a joint venture of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Industrial Realty Group); International Paper Company; Jim Kavanaugh (member of the St. Louis MLS team ownership group); the Kansas City Chiefs from the National Football League; the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association; MetLife; Michelin North America, Inc.; Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company; The Neiman Marcus Group, Inc.; New York Life Insurance Company; Oak View Group; Orlando Pace and Kurt Warner, former players from the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League; PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Process Control Solutions, LLC; Scottrade, Inc.; the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League; the St. Louis Cardinals from Major League Baseball; Stifel Financial Corp.; Target Corporation; University of Virginia Community Credit Union, Inc.; USA Pickleball; Windstream Corporation; World Wide Technology, Inc. and thirty-one National Hockey League clubs. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Davis worked in the corporate finance group of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. and in the congressional office of a United States Congressman.

Areas of Focus

  • Corporate

  • M&A & Corporate Finance

  • Sports & Entertainment

Civic Involvement & Honors

St. Louis Sports Commission, Board of Directors

St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Development Board Member and Development Board Executive Committee Member

Greater St. Louis, Inc., Chairs’ Counsel

St. Louis Downtown Engagement & Public Safety Initiative Member (appointed by St. Louis City Mayor Tishaura Jones)

  • Best Lawyers' (Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Sports Law , 2023)

  • Recruiting Committee (Chair)

Admissions

  • Missouri, 2000

Education

University of Virginia, J.D., 2000

Duke University, B.A., cum laude, 1997

Related Practice Areas

  • M&A & Corporate Finance

  • Corporate

  • Sports & Entertainment Contract, Endorsement & Celebrity Representation Practice

  • Anti-Doping Practice

  • Sports & Event Venue Real Estate Infrastructure and Operation

  • Naming Rights & Sponsorship Practice

  • Sports & Entertainment M&A Practice

  • Sports & Entertainment Litigation Practice

  • Collegiate Sports Practice

  • Sports & Entertainment Specialty Counseling Practice

  • Entertainment Industry Practice

  • Sports & Event Financing

  • Olympic & National Governing Body Practice

  • Professional Sports Team Practice

  • Sports & Entertainment

Experience

Representative Sports and Entertainment Experience

  • Represented thirty National Hockey League clubs in connection with NHL concussion action
  • Advised clients in connection with nearly $2.25 billion in naming rights transactions, including naming rights transactions involving Acrisure Stadium (home of the Pittsburgh Steelers), Citi Field (home of the New York Mets), Enterprise Center (home of the St. Louis Blues), Fiserv Forum (home of the Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette Golden Eagles), GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (home of the Kansas City Chiefs), the Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village (Pro Football Hall of Fame) and Stifel Theatre
  • Regularly represent the St. Louis Blues Hockey Club of the National Hockey League in connection with their business operations
  • Represented a group of investors in connection with their investment in the St. Louis Blues, the Scottrade Center (currently known as Enterprise Center), the Peabody Opera House (currently known as Stifel Theatre) and the St. Louis Blues’ minor league hockey franchise
  • Represented Jim Kavanaugh, President of World Wide Technology, in connection with his investment in the St. Louis Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion team
  • Represented the St. Louis Blues Hockey Club and its affiliates in connection with their arena naming rights agreement for the Enterprise Center, theatre naming rights agreement for the Stifel Theatre, naming rights agreement for Centene Community Ice Center, jersey sponsorship agreement with Stifel, gaming industry sponsorship agreement with Betway, telecast rights agreement with FOX Sports, agreements related to the 2016 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament, 2016 NCAA men's basketball tournament, 2017 NHL Winter Classic, 2018 SEC men's basketball tournament and 2020 NHL All Star Weekend, various sponsorship and other commercial agreements and various matters related to the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs
  • Represented the St. Louis Cardinals from Major League Baseball in connection with their Ballpark Village development, their investment in the Memphis Redbirds minor league baseball franchise and various commercial matters
  • Representing the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League in connection with various sponsorship and other contractual matters
  • Represented the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association in connection with various transactional and tax matters
  • Represented the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League in connection with various transactional and/or litigation matters
  • Represented HOF Village, LLC (a joint venture of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Industrial Realty Group) in connection with the sponsorship and naming rights agreement for Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village and various sponsorship deals
  • Represented Fiserv, Inc. in connection with naming rights and sponsorship agreement for Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA and Marquette Golden Eagles of the NCAA
  • Represented Enterprise Holdings, Inc. in connection with the naming rights and sponsorship agreement for the proposed new NFL stadium to be built on the St. Louis riverfront and various other sponsorship agreements
  • Represented Government Employees Health Association (GEHA) in connection with the naming rights deal for GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (home of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League), a significant sponsorship deal with the Chiefs and an endorsement deal with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes II, former NFL Most Valuable Player and a sponsorship agreement with the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL
  • Represented Target Corporation in connection with various sponsorship agreements, including jersey sponsorship agreements with LAFC and the Minnesota United from the MLS
  • Represented a private investor in connection with its investment in the Vegas Golden Knights, its hockey arena and its practice facility
  • Represented prospective investors in various existing and potential expansion MLS franchises in connection with their proposed investments
  • Represented an NHL club in connection with an executive arbitration matter in front of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman
  • Represent another NHL club in connection with various arbitration matters in front of NHL Commissioner Bettman
  • Representing multiple professional sports teams in connection with various music licensing disputes involving alleged copyright infringement 
  • Represented Oak View Group in connection with the development and operation of the Moody Center arena used by the University of Texas men’s and women’s college basketball teams
  • Represented Delaware North Companies, Inc. in connection with various concession, food and beverage, catering, merchandise and other agreements involving professional sports franchises in each of Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League and the National Hockey League
  • Represented New York Life Insurance Company in connection with various naming rights and sponsorship matters
  • Represented Kurt Warner and Orlando Pace, former players from the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League, and Barret Jackman, former player from the St. Louis Blues, in connection with various business and transactional ventures
  • Represented U.S. Olympian Missy Franklin in connection with endorsement matter
  • Represented private sponsors in connection with suite license and/or sponsorship matters involving Madison Square Garden, the Baltimore Orioles, the Baltimore Ravens, the Chicago White Sox, the Denver Broncos, the Kansas City Chiefs, LAFC, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Minnesota United, the New York Islanders, the New York Mets, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Vegas Golden Knights
  • Advised previous owner of the Phoenix Coyotes in connection with various contractual matters involving the team and its arena
  • Advised minority owner of sports agency in connection with the sale of his equity interest in the agency
  • Represented Vanguard Animation, LLC and its affiliate, Vanguard Films, LLC, the producer of the Academy Award winning "Shrek" and other motion pictures, in connection with various film financings, corporate governance issues and employment issues
  • Represented Hi-Rez Studios and VVP Services, LLC in connection with the formation and operation of Esports leagues
  • Advised numerous professional sports teams, naming rights holders and corporate sponsors in connection with the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses, including their naming rights, sponsorship and other commercial agreements, employment matters, safe return to play and PPP loan issues, including various restructurings of existing naming rights, sponsorship and other commercial agreements having an aggregate value in excess of $500 million

Representative M&A and Corporate Experience

  • Stifel Financial Corp. in connection with numerous acquisitions and investments, including its acquisition of the Legg Mason capital markets business from Citigroup, its acquisition of Ryan Beck Holdings, Inc., its acquisition of 56 branches from UBS Financial Services Inc., its acquisition of Sterne Agee Group, Inc., its acquisition of the U.S. wealth management business of Barclays and its acquisition of Vining-Sparks and its affiliates
  • Emerson Electric Co. in connection with numerous acquisitions and divestitures, including its approximately $118 million acquisition of the publicly-traded Stratos International, Inc., its approximately $165 million divestiture of its Chromalox Industrial Division and its approximately $145 million divestiture of XOMOX Corporation
  • International Paper Company in connection with its approximately $185 million acquisition of Central Lewmar, LLC (a subsidiary of Chrysalis Capital Partners, Inc.), its approximately $199 million sale of 163,000 acres of real estate properties in the southeastern U.S. and other acquisition and divestiture transactions
  • TALX Corporation in connection with its $1.4 billion public company merger transaction with Equifax Inc. and numerous acquisitions
  • Windstream Corporation in connection with its approximately $782 million acquisition of Q-Comm Corporation
  • ABB in connection with its approximately $4.2 billion acquisition of Baldor Electric Company
  • Delaware North Companies in connection with its acquisition of a majority interest in Patina Restaurant Group
  • MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. in connection with its $200 million+ acquisition of Sun Edison LLC
  • The Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. in connection with its investment in Glamour Sales and expansion into China
  • Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. in connection with various cross-border investment activities
  • American Water Company in connection with numerous acquisitions

Related Insights

News
Jan 23, 2024
Partner Ryan Davis featured in Law.com's "How I Made Managing Partner"
Awards
Aug 17, 2023
The Best Lawyers in America® 2024
Awards
Jun 08, 2023
Legal 500 US 2023
News
Jun 01, 2023
Chambers USA 2023
Awards
Jan 20, 2023
BCLP recognized for top deals at 2023 M&A Atlas Awards
News
Oct 28, 2022
BCLP represents Stifel Financial in title sponsorship with U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Awards
Aug 31, 2022
Chair Emeritus Don Lents honored with lifetime achievement award from Grand Center Inc.
Awards
Aug 18, 2022
The Best Lawyers in America© 2023
News
Jul 21, 2022
Firm’s Sports & Entertainment Group Featured in ‘St. Louis Business Journal’