Alan M. Rifkin, Managing Partner of Rifkin Weiner Livingston LLC (RWL), founded RWL in 1989 after serving as Counsel and Chief Legislative Officer to former Governor William Donald Schaefer and after previously serving in the same capacity to the Senate of Maryland.
Alan is chair of the firm’s Sports Law, Gaming and Facilities practice and co-chair of the firm’s Business and Commercial Transactions practice. He is a well-recognized commercial and business attorney who has represented many national and international corporations and institutions for over three decades. His current areas of practice include business and commercial transactions, complex civil and commercial litigation, sports franchise and media rights, class action suits, and false claims act cases.
Alan served as Chairman of SCG Legal, an international network of prominent law firms with members in every state capital, many commercial cities and over 80 countries worldwide, in 2014-2015. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors for the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, the Aspire Foundation and Ripken Enterprises, LLC. Previously, he has served on the Board of Directors for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Board, Loyola University, the Howard County Hospital Foundation, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League and other civic institutions.
Notable Representations
- Led a negotiating team for the Maryland Jockey Club, The Stronach Group and the Preakness Stakes® for a $375 million public/private partnership for the rebuilding of Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park
- Represented Ripken Enterprises, LLC in a sports facilities deal with the Disney Corporation for the establishment of “The Ripken Experience at Disney World” for the hosting of youth baseball tournaments and facilities
- Contributed as a consulting witness and expert for the Baltimore Orioles and the Mid-Atlantic Sport Network in an arbitration matter before Major League Baseball
- Represented the Maryland Jockey Club and The Stronach Group, owners of the Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness Stakes® in eminent domain litigation involving Baltimore City
- Represented the Tufton Group in the negotiations with a local municipal government concerning improvements to the City of Aberdeen’s Minor League Baseball Stadium, home of the Aberdeen Ironbirds
- Provided consultative legal services to a Canadian Olympic equestrian rider in defense of an alleged doping disqualification before the Court of Sports Arbitration
- Outside counsel to various professional sports franchises and sports networks, including: the Baltimore Orioles, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN®), Maryland Jockey Club and the Preakness Stakes®, among others
- Represented the Baltimore Orioles in negotiations with Major League Baseball concerning compensation for the Orioles in connection with the relocation of the Washington Nationals to Washington, D.C.
- Negotiated the Baltimore Orioles’ spring training facilities lease with Sarasota County, Florida
- Negotiated numerous media rights and sponsorship agreements for professional sports teams and enterprises
- Represents the Maryland Jockey Club, owners of the Preakness Stakes® and Pimlico Race Course in a wide variety of commercial, regulatory and litigation matters
- Represented the Washington Redskins on a variety of matters, including the proposed relocation of the franchise from Washington, D.C. to Laurel Park, Maryland
- In the area of complex civil and commercial litigation, represented the widow of one of the U.S. Postal workers who died as a result of contact with the now-infamous “anthrax letters” mailed to the United States Congress
- Represented numerous business, commercial and institutional interests in actions involving the state of Maryland and its agencies
- Represents numerous business and commercial interests on a wide variety of matters
Contact Info:
arifkin@rwllaw.com
410.269.5066