Economist Conferences – Greece
John Collins
Partner/ Former general counsel
John Collins, of Collins & Collins of Chicago, Illinois, has an international sports law practice in which he has represented sports organizations, athletes, coaches and agents in 15 different sports in a wide variety of matters including, litigation, appeals, CAS/TAS arbitrations, labor negotiations, corporate goverance, membership compliance and commercial agreements, including broadcast, sponsorship and licensing agreements.
Mr Collins has represented all levels for football, including FIFA, CONCACAF, professional leagues, professional clubs, national associations, players and coaches. Mr Collins was a member the FIFA Legal Committee and the FIFA Task Force Revision of Statutes. In 2011, Mr Collins conducted the investigation and drafted the report exposing bribery in the 2011 FIFA Presidential Election.
Prior to Collins & Collins, Mr Collins headed the national sports law practice at Jenkins & Gilchrist, was U.S. Soccer’s General Counsel and was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago where he prosecuted a wide array of criminal cases. He started his legal career at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom.
Mr Collins has lectured extensively on sports law and ethics. He taught sports law and legal ethics at the University of Chicago Law School. He taught Sports Ethics at Loyola University, Chicago, Graduate School of Business. He is Chair of the the National Board of Advisors of the National Sports Law Institute.
Mr Collins received his B.S. with high honors in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. His wife Kate is also a lawyer. They have two kids: Maddie, age 21, and J.D., age 18.