Attorneys

Home / Attorneys / / Alan K. Fertel
Alan K.FertelPartner, Chair of Sports, Arts and Entertainment Law Group; Chair of Family Law Practice Group
Alan K.
Fertel

Partner

Chair of Sports, Arts and Entertainment Law Group; Chair of Family Law Practice Group

Miami
(305) 854-0800
afertel@wsh-law.com

Known as a “powerhouse generalist,” Alan Fertel is a standout lawyer whose clients— including multi-millionaire athletes, entertainers and high net worth individuals —turn to him to address their legal matters.

Alan’s diverse practice includes sports, arts and entertainment law, civil litigation, commercial law, international law and family law. Alan negotiates high value endorsement deals and sponsorship contracts for athletes and coaches including American Olympic champion swimmers Caeleb Dressel and Bobby Finke, and Dressel’s coach Greg Troy. He also represents Olympic speed-skater turned baseball player Eddy Alvarez.

An accomplished trial attorney, Alan has tried over 100 jury and non-jury trials. His recent victories include obtaining a jury verdict of not guilty where three other co-defendants were found guilty of $25 million dollars of damage; obtaining a zero verdict on behalf of the City of Doral; and, on the night before trial, obtaining a rare dismissal of a case in favor of his client the City of Homestead.

An intense negotiator, Alan cites his charismatic personality, persistence, and aggressive litigation skills as the keys to his success. Over the course of his 35-year legal career, Alan has developed the legal skills to handle any case and any client that demands his legal representation. He has zealously represented banks, developers, financial institutions, real estate agencies, corporations, partnerships, estates and individuals involving fraud, breach of contract, intentional interference with contractual relationships, defamation, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, RICO and civil theft.

Sports, Arts & Entertainment Law

Alan represents individuals and entities in the sports, arts & entertainment space, from athletes and entertainers to coaches, athletic directors, teams, agents, leagues, radio stations, models, modeling agencies, restaurants and clubs. Alan has consulted with eight first round draft picks in the NFL draft and is featured in the NFL League Security Video filmed by NFL Films, shown to every NFL player as counsel on how to avoid the problems and pitfalls of being a celebrity professional athlete. He negotiated the Principal Hosting Agreement for the 2014 Miss Universe Pageant and has negotiated broadcast agreements with the Miami Marlins, Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and the University of Miami Hurricanes. He has acted as counsel to the Miami-Dade Special Olympics, World Series of Boxing, the National Senior Games and the World Water Skiing Championships. Alan has also negotiated endorsement agreements with Speedo, Coca-Cola, Comcast, Hershey’s and Toyota,  as well as sponsorship agreements with Beats and GrubHub, for his athlete clients.

Alan is uniquely positioned to represent college and high school student athletes who wish to pursue endorsement and sponsorship opportunities, ensuring that they enter into beneficial business relationships serving their best interests. He has been at the forefront of advocating for name, image and likeness rights on behalf of his student athlete clients, staying on top of legal developments that give them access to new opportunities. Alan has entered into and is pursuing strategic partnerships with agents and sports agencies to help student athletes monetize these newfound opportunities, including monetizing their connections, followers and contacts.

Alan’s practice has an international reach as he has represented clients from Spain, South, Central and Latin America. He leverages his international business network to help his clients pursue business opportunities in the United States. For example, Alan negotiated licensing agreements with Sevilla FC, a premier Spanish “La Liga” professional soccer team to expand their brand to the United States. Sevilla FC plans to open youth soccer academies through Florida and the United States and to market merchandise and compete in friendly soccer matches. Alan will also be representing Sevilla FC in their efforts to break into the United States soccer market.

Alan is a frequent speaker and lecturer at sports and entertainment law seminars throughout Florida, the United States and Latin America. He is sought after to speak to lawyers, law school, college and high school students and student athletes on various legal and ethical issues, including Florida’s Name, Image and Likeness Statute. He has also spoken at numerous universities and high schools about the importance of pursuing education, encouraging student athletes to prioritize their studies.

Alan also gives his time and efforts to various charitable and civil causes. He was the Chair and a member of the Board of Directors of the Miami-Dade Sports Commission, is a member of the Greater Miami Sports Tourism Advisory Committee, a member of the Executive Committee of The Miami-Dade County Special Olympics, a member of The St. Thomas University Business School Advisory Council and Athletic and Sports Administration Advisory Board, a member of the Executive Council of the Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section of the Florida Bar where he is the Chair of the Sports Committee, and a member of the Lawyers Alliance of the Council for Educational Change.

Family Law 

Alan represents high net worth individual clients in divorce and dissolution proceedings, child custody matters, paternity cases and annulments. He has successfully garnished over $100 million in foreign assets representing both domestic and international clients in dissolution proceedings in Florida. Alan uses his strong litigation and negotiating skills coupled with his post judgement collection knowledge, honed over years of practice, to recover and collect hidden assets throughout the world. During a personally difficult and emotionally challenging time, Alan’s clients can trust that he will be a staunch advocate of their legal rights with a personal understanding of the effects of divorce on both parties and their children.

Alan has been recognized as one of South Florida’s top lawyers by the South Florida Legal Guide since 2003. He is AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell, and has also been recognized as one of Florida’s top attorneys by Florida Super Lawyers every year since 2006. He has also been named among Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite and The Best Lawyers in America.

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Past Chair and Member of the Board of Directors of the Miami Sports Commission
  • Greater Miami Sports Tourism Advisory Committee, Member of Board of Directors, 2005-present
  • Florida Special Olympics Executive Committee, Miami Chapter, General Counsel, Member, 2007-present
  • St. Thomas University Business School, Dean’s Advisory Council, 2010-present
  • St. Thomas University Athletic and Sports Administration Advisory Board, Member, 2008-present
  • Entertainment Arts and Sports Law Section, The Florida Bar, Executive Council and Chair of the Sports Committee, 2005-present

Awards & Recognition

  • Daily Business Review Florida Legal Awards, Innovators category – RTWC2026 Focus Group, 2024
  • Circle of Excellence Winner, Miami-Dade Bar, 2023
  • Florida Super Lawyers, 2006-present
  • South Florida Legal Guide, Top Lawyers, 2003-present
  • Florida Trend’s Legal Elite
  • Best Lawyers in America®, Sports Law, 2012 – present
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating
  • Florida Special Olympics Volunteer of the Year

Practice Areas

Admissions

Florida, 1984


New Jersey, 1989


U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida


U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida


U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit

Education

University of Miami School of Law, J.D., 1984


Shippensburg State College, B.A., Government, 1981

Press Mentions
Presentations
  • Collision of Sports and the Law in 2023, North American Law Summit, Cancun, November 12, 2023
  • Florida Name, Image and Likeness Seminar, St. Thomas University, January 23, 2023
  • Name, Image & Likeness, North American Law Summit, Costa Rica, November 14, 2021
  • The History of the Super Bowl in Miami panel discussion, St. Thomas University, January 2020
  • Annual North American Entertainment Sports and Intellectual Property Law Conference:
    • Player, Coaches and Owners Conduct in the NFL, NBA, MLB and College Sports, Cayman Islands, November 2018
    • Player Conduct, the Collective Bargaining Agreements in the NFL, NBA and MLB, Jamaica, November 2017
    • Player Conduct; the Role of Commissioner in the NFL, NBA and MLB, Mexico, November 2016
  • Miami Sports Decision Makers Summit, Miami, May 2019
  • Intellectual Property Issues in the Sports Industry, Dade County Bar Association Annual Bench & Bar, April 2019
  • SELS Symposium, Nova University, April 2019
  • Sports Tourism in South Florida and Beyond, St. Thomas University Symposium, April 2019
  • Florida Bar Annual Convention, Orlando, June 2018
  • Nova Southeastern University Sports & Entertainment Symposium, January 2018
  • Keynote speaker: Lawyering in the Modern Environment, Nova Southeastern Broad Shepard College of Law Sports and Entertainment Law Symposium, 2017
  • International Legal Symposium on the World of Music, Film, Television and Sports, Colin Kaepernick, University of Miami School of Law, March 2017
  • Handling your sports clients’ legal needs, EASL (Florida Bar Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section) audio webcast, December 2017
  • ACE Captains Summit, St. Thomas University, September 2016

RELATED BLOGS,
PUBLICATIONS,
NEWS & UPDATES

Start typing and press Enter to search