Adding firepower to its sports industry team, Foley & Lardner has hired former National Basketball Association executive and in-house counsel Bobby Sharma as a special adviser in New York.

Sharma has spent close to two decades in the sports industry, including stops at the NBA and major sports marketing agency IMG. He is currently chairman of sports, media and entertainment investment outfit Blue Devil Holdings and a partner at sports-focused private equity firm GACP Sports. He also co-founded an advisory firm called Electronic Sports Group, which focuses on video gaming competitions known as esports.

“Bobby's unique and extensive global experience, in both traditional sports and esports, make him an impact player in the sports, media and entertainment industry today,” Robert DuPuy, a business partner at Foley & Lardner and former president and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball, said in a statement. “Our firm and sports industry team clients will greatly benefit from his involvement and advice on their projects and issues.”

While at the NBA from 2002 to 2011, Sharma served as general counsel and vice president for the organization's first minor league system, initially known as the NBA Development League. (The league was later referred to as the NBA D League, but since 2017, it has been known as the G League after a sponsorship deal with Gatorade.)

During Sharma's tenure, the NBA's minor league system grew from a fledgling, six-team operation in the Southeast to a nationwide league with 16 teams. His responsibilities as an executive included overseeing league and team agreements and incorporating the development league into the NBA's collective bargaining agreement with the players' union.

Sharma then moved to IMG, where he served as senior vice president and global head of basketball and strategic initiatives. That role involved growing strategic business interests across the globe by creating and developing basketball, soccer and cricket properties that ranged from sporting academies to national and professional teams, according to Foley & Lardner.

At the law firm, Sharma will reunite with a former NBA colleague in Jonathan Israel, the vice chair of the firm's sports industry practice, who previously served as the NBA's assistant general counsel. Sharma is expected to advise leagues, teams and other players in the professional and amateur sports world.

For his part, Sharma said in an interview that a longstanding friendship and professional overlap with Israel played a part in drawing him to Foley & Lardner. He also cited the firm's strong reputation in the sports industry and said his expertise in areas such as esports and international sports dovetailed with some of the goals Foley & Lardner has for the further development of its sports industry team.

“It's a world-class firm and it's long been a sports industry leader,” Sharma said. “But the firm's also been very forward-thinking in terms of the initiatives it's taken in esports and international sports.”

As for his role, Sharma will return to practicing law, while also continuing on with other business ventures, such as Blue Devil Holdings and Electronic Sports Group. Much of his focus at Foley & Lardner will be on providing high-level strategic advice, he said, but he also expects to be involved in hands-on legal work when he can add value.

“The firm deserves a lot of credit for being very innovative and flexible with the relationship,” Sharma said.