Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference LLP Launches Sports & Entertainment Law Practice

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Mar 16, 2012) - Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference LLP (www.srff.com), a law firm that provides experienced and professional representation in all matters involving the securities industry, as well as in all general corporate and litigation matters, today announced that it has launched a sports and entertainment practice to be run out of the firm's New York City headquarters. Concurrently, the firm announced the hire of Edward Schauder to launch the new practice area.

"Ed not only has more than 20 years of experience handling complex corporate and finance transactions but throughout his career he has also been intimately involved in both the legal and business side of the sports and entertainment industry," said Greg Sichenzia, founding partner at Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference LLP. "We are thrilled that he is joining our team of legal experts to advise clients in mergers acquisitions, venture capital and private and public debt and equity offerings as well as sports and entertainment. We believe that there is real synergy between our practice, our clients and what Ed brings to the table." Prior to joining the firm, Ed had previously been a colleague of partner Harvey Kesner who joined the firm in 2009. Mr. Kesner stated, "Ed is a terrific addition and I am pleased he agreed to continue to develop his sports and entertainment business with us. I look forward to working with Ed once again in our business and securities practices."

In addition to closely working within the sports and entertainment industries, Mr. Schauder has extensive experience in corporate and finance law. Previously, he worked at Kaye Scholer LLP, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP and Haynes and Boone LLP where he handled sophisticated corporate and finance transactions, was the lead attorney in numerous private debt and equity offerings, and also advised clients on SEC compliance and general corporate planning.

Mr. Schauder has represented the NBA Retired Players Association, numerous licensees of professional sports leagues, the 2011 World Police & Fire Games and has negotiated sponsorship, merchandising and licensing agreements with many well-known Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Schauder literally enjoys direct and indirect relationships with hundreds of professional athletes and their agents as well as General Counsels from various sports leagues and teams.

"I'm very excited about this opportunity to practice sophisticated corporate law while leveraging my strong contacts that I've cultivated throughout my career to raise the firm's sports profile," said Mr. Schauder. "To me this is really the best of both worlds since there is so much synergy and this move is already paying off dividends. I'm excited to join the firm and lead this new practice group."

Mr. Schauder co-founded the Negro League Baseball Players Association in 1990 as part of a successful effort to obtain recognition and financial assistance for members of baseball's Negro leagues. He also pioneered the practice of grouping championship sports teams and other groups of performers with shared historical accomplishments, in an effort to maximize their value. He has helped organize and represent: 1969 New York Mets, 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, 1977 New York Yankees, 1972 Miami Dolphins and 1989 New York Giants. He formerly was Director of Legal and Business Affairs at 4 Kids Entertainment, Inc., a public company that served as the licensing agent for Nintendo, World Wresting Entertainment, James Bond, the Harlem Globetrotters and other iconic brands.

Mr. Schauder earned his law degree from Columbia Law School. He is a member of the Sports Lawyers Association and a regular contributor to Professional Sports and the Law.

About Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference LLP

Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference LLP (www.srff.com) is headquartered in New York City and offers a full range of financial and business legal service. SRFF specializes in advising business entities on all securities matters including public offerings, private investment in public entities (PIPEs) deals and international reverse merger transactions. SRFF is also nationally recognized as a leading firm for representation of broker-dealers and securities industry professionals in SEC and FINRA enforcement proceedings as well as securities litigation and arbitration. The Firm is a recognized leader in PIPEs transactions for publicly traded companies and has completed over 400 deals to date, totaling over $2.5 billion since 2001. SRFF maintains dedicated international corporate practice groups and is acknowledged for legal excellence, sectoral expertise and a strong commitment to innovation and client service. In 2012, SRFF added a sports and entertainment law practice group.