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D. Scott Poley
Counsel
Cincinnati, OH
Counsel
Cincinnati, OH
Scott is a member of the Corporate Law practice group. He served as general counsel to Minor League Baseball for over twenty years, helping to lead a period of unprecedented growth and change for the industry. Scott has worked closely with owners and executives for the 160 teams that play in domestically based leagues as well as those in foreign-based leagues in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. With oversight over a wide range of corporate transactions and business operations, Scott has guided entities in sports, entertainment, retail and other areas through complex transactions and operational planning. His wide-ranging practice has included club sales, marketing, licensing, sponsorship and naming rights agreements, stadium and facility leases, trademark and intellectual property law, governmental relations, labor and employment law and collective bargaining. Scott enjoys working with businesses of all sizes but his extensive experience assisting small and medium sized firms has made him especially attuned to their needs and challenges.
Established the Minor League Baseball (MiLB) digital entity, BIRCO, and negotiated digital marketing and rights agreements related to its formation, including those that formed MiLBStore.com, the e-commerce platform for club merchandise sales, and MiLB.tv, the streaming and subscription platform for Minor League games.
Part of leadership that oversaw sustained growth of the national licensing program and royalty distributions working closely with Major League Baseball Properties.
Managed a trademark portfolio of over 2,500 team names and logos and all trademark-related functions (trademark clearance, registration, maintenance, infringement and opposition matters, negotiation of co-existence and other agreements).
Participated in the negotiation of the initial and successive collective bargaining agreements with the union representing MiLB umpires and administered a CBA covering the terms and conditions of MiLB umpire employment for 20 years.
Facilitated full and partial ownership transfers between team owners and buyers in over 1,000 team transactions.
Participated in key government relations initiatives including initiatives related to antitrust, immigration, and COVID relief.
Leader on the 2020 COVID response team that provided information to teams and leagues about the coronavirus and also about relief resources such as the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, and the Main Street Lending Program.
Worked closely with Major League Baseball, the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers on realignment of two teams from the California League to the Carolina League.
Helped develop “Minor League Baseball University” to educate new owners and executives about all facets of the industry.
Regular speaker at the Baseball Winter Meetings on topics including wage and hour law, licensing and merchandising, contests and sweepstakes, and developments in social media law.
University of Cincinnati College of Law, 1994, Order of the Coif
University of Michigan, 1991
Ohio U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Presenter/Panelist at May 2022 Sports Lawyers Association 48th Annual Conference – “Minor League Baseball Labor and Restructuring Legal Issues”
Co-Presenter at the Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies (2015 & 2018)- “The Judiciary Steps Up to the Plate – How Professional Baseball and the Courts Have Impacted America”