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    For College and High School Athletes

    NIL Endorsement Deal Attorney

    Contract review and negotiation for endorsement deals, collective agreements, House revenue-share contracts, and transfer portal moves. Fixed-fee. Direct access to a former Division I athlete and former NFLPA-certified agent.

    Last updated: May 26, 2026

    • Super Lawyers Rising Star — NJ 2025 & NY Metro 2026
    • Director, Sports, Entertainment & Gaming Initiatives at Seton Hall Law
    • Former Division I basketball player, Boston College (ACC)
    • Former NFLPA-certified agent
    • Licensed in NY, NJ, OH

    What an NIL endorsement deal attorney does

    An NIL endorsement deal attorney represents college and high school athletes in negotiating, reviewing, and structuring name, image, and likeness contracts. That includes individual brand endorsement deals, NIL collective contracts, House settlement revenue-share agreements with universities, transfer portal moves, social-only content deals, and equity-based partnerships. The attorney's job is to identify unfavorable terms before signing, negotiate fair compensation and deliverables, ensure compliance with state NIL laws, NCAA rules, university policies, and the College Sports Commission reporting framework, and protect the athlete's long-term brand, IP, and earnings. At Jacobs Counsel, every NIL engagement runs on a fixed fee with direct access to the principal.

    Who I Represent

    Current College Athletes

    D-I, D-II, D-III, and NAIA athletes negotiating brand endorsement deals, collective agreements, and House revenue-share contracts with their schools. Whether you're a starter on a Power Four football roster or a soccer player with a strong social following, your deals deserve professional review.

    High School Recruits and Their Families

    High school athletes weighing NIL offers, family advisors structuring entity setup before college, and recruits navigating state-by-state high school NIL rules. The earlier the structure is right, the more leverage you keep.

    Transfer Portal Athletes

    Athletes entering the portal need legal review of departing-school revenue-share obligations, buyout or repayment clauses, and incoming-school offers. Portal moves in 2026 frequently involve seven-figure decisions made in days. Get them right.

    Deal Types I Negotiate

    Individual Brand Endorsement Deals

    Apparel, nutrition, equipment, financial services, automotive, local business, and direct-to-consumer brands. The standard term sheet is rarely athlete-friendly. We restructure deliverables, exclusivity scope, term, and termination so the deal works for your career — not just the brand's marketing calendar.

    NIL Collective Contracts

    Collectives now drive a large share of college NIL dollars, but their agreements vary wildly in quality. We vet the collective's structure and funding, scrutinize payment timing, deliverables, exclusivity, and termination, and confirm the deal complies with the College Sports Commission reporting framework and your school's NIL policy.

    House Settlement Revenue-Share Agreements

    Schools that opted into the House settlement framework can now pay athletes directly, with the first-year cap set at $20.5 million per school for the 2025–26 academic year. These agreements are new, untested, and increasingly the subject of litigation. We review revenue-share terms, buyout and repayment provisions, IP grants, and conduct clauses before you sign.

    Transfer Portal Counsel

    Departing-school obligations, incoming-school offers, NIL Go reporting, and timing strategy. We coordinate the legal side of the move so the deal closes cleanly and the athlete preserves leverage at both ends.

    Social-Only and Content Deals

    Sponsored posts, affiliate arrangements, ambassador programs, and creator partnerships. We negotiate FTC compliance, content ownership, usage rights, exclusivity windows, and renewal terms.

    Equity, Token, and Profit-Share Deals

    Brand partnerships increasingly include equity, revenue share, or token components. These require entity structuring, securities analysis, tax planning, and careful valuation review before signing.

    Group Licensing and Team Deals

    Trading card, video game, jersey, and collective merchandise programs that license multiple athletes at once. We negotiate opt-in terms, royalty structures, and individual carve-outs.

    What I Review in Every NIL Contract

    1. 1

      Exclusivity scope

      Category, geography, platform, and term. Overbroad exclusivity is the single most common way athletes lose future earnings.

    2. 2

      Term and renewal

      Length, auto-renewal triggers, and the athlete's right to walk.

    3. 3

      Deliverables

      Number of posts, appearances, hours, content approval rights, and what counts as performance.

    4. 4

      Compensation structure

      Payment timing, milestones, bonuses, equity vesting, and what happens if the brand misses payment.

    5. 5

      IP and content ownership

      Who owns the content, who can use the athlete's name and image, for how long, and where.

    6. 6

      Morals and conduct clauses

      Trigger definitions, cure rights, and termination consequences.

    7. 7

      Termination rights

      Both sides. The athlete needs an exit if the brand turns toxic or the deal stops fitting.

    8. 8

      Compliance

      State NIL law, NCAA rules, university policy, CSC and NIL Go reporting obligations, and FTC disclosure requirements.

    9. 9

      Indemnity and liability

      Caps, carve-outs, and insurance requirements.

    10. 10

      Tax and entity structure

      Whether the deal should flow through an LLC or S-corp, withholding, and 1099 reporting.

    The 2025–2026 NIL Landscape

    NIL law changed materially in 2025. In June 2025, a federal court approved the House v. NCAA settlement, which allows schools that opt in to share athletic revenue directly with athletes — up to a first-year cap of $20.5 million per school, rising annually over a ten-year period. The College Sports Commission, an independent enforcement body, now oversees the framework, including the NIL Go clearinghouse for third-party deals and the College Athlete Payment System for school-direct payments.

    For athletes, the practical reality is that NIL deals now sit inside a real compliance structure. Third-party deals of $600 or more generally must be reported through NIL Go, typically within five business days. The CSC has signaled it will scrutinize deals that look like recruiting inducements rather than legitimate NIL value. State NIL laws still vary, federal NIL legislation remains unresolved, and high school NIL rules are a state-by-state patchwork.

    The athletes who win in this environment operate with professional structure: legal review on every deal, an attorney and an agent who coordinate, and contracts written to anticipate the next two years of rule changes — not just the current ones.

    Authoritative Sources

    The legal claims on this page are grounded in the following primary and authoritative sources. Material on this page is updated when the underlying law changes.

    This page does not constitute legal advice. The law in this area is changing rapidly. For advice on a specific deal or situation, book a consultation.

    Why Athletes and Families Choose Jacobs Counsel

    Athlete background

    Drew Jacobs walked on to Boston College basketball and competed in the ACC. He understands locker rooms, career timelines, and what's at stake in every deal.

    Former NFLPA-certified agent

    Drew has negotiated professional contracts and represented athletes at the highest level.

    Academic authority

    Director, Sports, Entertainment & Gaming Initiatives at Seton Hall University School of Law. Runs the Annual Gaming Law Bootcamp.

    Fixed-fee pricing

    Every engagement is scoped and priced before work begins. No hourly surprises, no associate billing layers.

    Direct principal access

    You work with Drew. There is no junior associate handoff.

    AI-native firm

    Faster turnarounds without sacrificing quality, which matters when a portal window or a brand deadline is measured in days.

    How a Typical NIL Engagement Works

    1. 1

      Free intake call.

      20–30 minutes. We review the deal in front of you, the timeline, and what's at stake. You leave the call with a recommendation, even if you don't engage us.

    2. 2

      Fixed fee scope.

      If we move forward, you get a written scope and a fixed fee before any work starts. Most single-deal reviews fall into a clearly defined price band.

    3. 3

      Review and negotiation.

      We mark up the contract, talk through the changes, and either negotiate directly with the brand, collective, or school, or coach you (or your agent) through the back-and-forth.

    4. 4

      Close and follow-through.

      We handle execution, advise on NIL Go reporting where applicable, and stay available for the questions that come up after signing.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do I need an attorney for an NIL deal, or is an agent enough?
    Agents and attorneys do different things. An agent finds and pitches deals and typically takes a percentage. An attorney reviews and negotiates contract terms and is bound by fiduciary and ethical duties an agent is not. For any meaningful NIL deal — generally $5,000 and up, or any deal with exclusivity, equity, or multi-year terms — both are valuable. At Jacobs Counsel, we work alongside agents regularly and coordinate cleanly with them.

    How much does an NIL endorsement attorney cost?
    Jacobs Counsel works on a fixed fee, scoped before any work begins. Single-deal reviews are priced in clear bands depending on complexity. Multi-deal or ongoing representation can be structured as a flat monthly retainer. The free intake call is genuinely free — no hourly meter, no obligation.

    Can a high school athlete sign an NIL deal?
    It depends on the state. As of 2026, the high school NIL landscape remains a state-by-state patchwork, with some states explicitly permitting NIL for high school athletes, others restricting it, and others silent. We review your state's rule and your specific high school athletic association's policy before any deal moves forward.

    What is the House settlement and how does it affect my deals?
    The House v. NCAA settlement, approved in June 2025, allows schools that opt in to share athletic revenue directly with athletes, up to a $20.5 million per-school cap for the 2025–26 year. It also created the College Sports Commission as the enforcement body and the NIL Go platform to clear third-party deals of $600 or more. Practically, this means your school-direct revenue-share contract is now a distinct legal document from your third-party brand and collective deals — and each needs separate review.

    Do I have to report my NIL deals?
    For Division I athletes, third-party NIL deals of $600 or more generally must be reported through the NIL Go platform, typically within five business days. School-direct revenue-share payments are reported through the College Athlete Payment System. Your school's compliance office is the first stop, and we coordinate with them on every deal we handle.

    I'm in the transfer portal. Can you help me move fast?
    Yes. Portal windows are short and decisions are often made in days. We have a portal-specific intake process designed to review departing-school obligations, evaluate incoming offers, and close paperwork inside the window. Call as early in the portal cycle as you can.

    What states are you licensed in?
    New York, New Jersey, and Ohio. For NIL matters — which are largely federal contract law plus state-by-state regulatory overlay — we represent athletes nationwide and coordinate with local counsel where state-specific representation is required.

    Will you work with my agent and financial advisor?
    Yes, and we prefer it. The athletes who win operate with a real team. We coordinate with agents, financial advisors, accountants, and family advisors to make sure deal structure, tax treatment, and long-term planning all line up.

    Get Your NIL Deal Reviewed

    If you're weighing a brand deal, a collective offer, a House revenue-share agreement, or a portal move, get a real read on it before you sign. The intake call is free, the scope is fixed, and you'll know exactly where you stand inside 30 minutes.