Talks

• 'Game changer: How law is reshaping sports and entertainment,' AIJA 63rd International Young Lawyers' Congress - August 28, 2025, speaker

• 'Dodging Risk - Helping Athletes Play Defense in Life,' Trusted Advisor's 2nd Annual Sports X Miami Summit - October 23, 2024, speaker

• 'ESPN in conversation with Michael Rueda: Managing and monetizing NIL in the US,' The Rob Dibble Show, 97-9 ESPN - January 31, 2023, speaker

• 'ESPN in conversation with Michael Rueda: Managing and monetizing NIL in the US,' The Rob Dibble Show, 97-9 ESPN - December 12, 2022, speaker

• 'Michael Rueda, head of US Sports & Entertainment at Withersworldwide, Sports & Corporate Law,' Life in the Front Office Podcast Presented by Suja Organic - September 2022, speaker

• 'High court hears NCAA appeal on student compensation', Reuters - April 1, 2021, speaker

• 'Explore Strategies to Help Build Your Brand', Merrill Financial Advisors, New York - December 2019, speaker

• St. John's University School of Law, LL.M. in International Sports Law Practice, New York - November 2015, guest lecturer

• 'Practical Consideration When Bringing Players to Major League Soccer', 2015 World Sports Law Report's Sport Contracts conference, London - November 2015

External publications

• 'Dom Amore's Sunday Report: Unpacking an Akward Week for WNBA, CT Sun, Azzi Fudd, and More,' Hartford Courant - April 19, 2026, quoted

• 'Family Office Investment in US Sports: Combining Financial Returns with Social Engagement,' FFI Practitioner - March 4, 2026, co-authored

• 'Does Six Flags need more live events with celebrities? Travis Kelce could be the first step to getting there,' MorningStar - October 23, 2025, quoted

• 'WNBA players want more money — and stars like Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark are calling out the league commissioner to get it,' MarketWatch - October 4, 2025, quoted

• 'From Borrowing Her Mom’s Credit Card To a $1.5 Million Net Worth, WNBA Star Paige Bueckers Wasn’t Prepared For ‘Super Fast’ NIL Financial Jump,' Fortune - September 9, 2025, quoted

• 'How Historic House Settlement Will Impact CU, CSU and College Athletic Programs Everywhere,' The Denver Post - August 31, 2025, quoted

• 'Another NBA Blockbuster as Portland Trail Blazers Sell to Group Led by Billionaire Tom Dundon for Reported $4.25 Billion,' Fortune - August 14, 2025, quoted

• 'From sidelines to bottom lines: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act hits the sports industry,' Withers Insight - August 4, 2025, co-authored

• 'CFB's Revenue-Sharing Era Muddles Future of NIL, Adds PE Questions,' Front Office Sports - July 7, 2025, quoted

• 'NCAA's House Settlement Era Begins, Shaking Up College Athletics As Some Schools Opt Out,' Associated Press - July 1, 2025, quoted

• 'In Dispute Over College Roster Limits, a Trial Could Loom if Judge Doesn't Approve Latest Proposal,' Associated Press - May 16, 2025, quoted

• 'Small but Sharp Hurdles Remain to NCAA's NIL Settlement,' Law360 - April 8, 2025, quoted

• 'In Recruiting Battle, Lawmakers Weigh Whether To Give Colleges Athletes a Tax Break on NIL Settlement,' Associated Press - April 1, 2025, quoted

• 'Celtics Record Sale Highlights Scarcity Value of Marquee Franchises,' Front Office Sports - March 20, 2025, quoted

• 'Trump Admin's NIL Guidance Isn't Law, but Is a Title IX Threat,' Law360 - February 28, 2025, quoted

• 'How New York Giants' Minority Sale Impacts Franchise's Future,' Locked on Giants Podcast - February 24, 2025, guest speaker

• 'Private Equity Scores Again,' World Finance - February 14, 2025, quoted

• 'The NFL's private equity era won't be the bloodbath you think - for now.'  Front Office Sports - September 12, 2024, quoted

• 'Podcast pay dirt: why top hosts like Joe Rogan, Kelce Brothers, Alex Cooper are landing big-buck deals'  Variety - September 11, 2024, quoted

• 'Opinion: Private Equity Suits Up to Own Some of the NFL. What Could Go Wrong?,' The Washington Post - September 3, 2024, quoted

• 'Podcast Stars are Inking Massive Nine-Figure Deals. Here's Why Companies are Writing the Big Checks,' CNN - August 31, 2024, quoted

• 'A Big Day Arrives for the NFL and Private Equity,' Sportico - August 15, 2024, quoted

• 'How Sports Went From Private Equity Punchline to Coveted Asset Class,' Front Office Sports - July 6, 2024, quoted 

• 'States Want Tax Reform As Ohtani's Deal Deferrals Stir Controversy,' Front Office Sports - April 15, 2024, quoted

• 'Did NIL Play a Part in Alabama Coach Nick Saban's Shock Retirement?,' MarketWatch - January 11, 2024, quoted

• 'How Shohei Ohtani's deferral-heavy $700 million contract could impact baseball industry,' The Sporting News - January 4, 2024, quoted

• 'Dodgers, Ohtani got creative with $700 million deal, but both sides still have some risk,' Associated Press News - December 16, 2023, quoted

• 'NIL law changes face of college athletics,' North Carolina Lawyers Weekly - September 18, 2023, quoted

• 'NIL law changes face of college athletics,' South Carolina Lawyers Weekly - September 18, 2023, quoted

• 'NIL New to College World, But Not Novel,' Missouri Lawyers Media - September 13, 2023, quoted

• 'Money Talks as Sovereign Funds Aim to Play in US Sports,' Law360 - August 14, 2023, quoted

• 'The NCAA’s position on not paying athletes is worse than tone deaf,' The Washington Post - May 22, 2023, quoted

• 'Lamar Jackson Turns Contract Chaos Into Self-Marketing Machine,' Sportico - March 27, 2023, quoted

• 'Scrutiny Of Snyder May Lead To Big Money Commanders Sale,' Law360 - November 2, 2022, quoted

• 'Ex-Commanders Workers Blast Letter From Owner's Lawyers,' Law360 - October 7, 2022, quoted

• 'Corporate, Public Outrage Is Antidote To Bad Sports Owners,' Law360 - September 19, 2022, quoted

• 'Nike is the latest company to file suit over NFTs as brands get serious about the marketplace,' Fortune - February 7, 2022, quoted

• 'Paige Bueckers, a College Athlete Who's Cashing In,' Bloomberg News - December 1, 2021, quoted

• '5 Big Questions as NCAA, States Open NIL Floodgates,' Law360 - July 2, 2021, quoted

• 'NCAA's Move on Athlete Image Rights Raises Enforcement Questions,' Bloomberg Law - July 2, 2021, quoted

• 'Now That It's Time for NIL To Go, How Much Money Will Flow?' The Associated Press - June 30, 2021, quoted

• 'NCAA's NIL Decision Changes the Game for Student-Athletes,' Reuters - June 30, 2021, quoted

• 'Brands Prepare to Woo College Athletes After NCAA Loosens Rules,' Bloomberg News - June 30, 2021, quoted

• 'Supreme Court's NCAA Ruling Puts Athletes on Legal Path To Getting Paid,' The Washington Times - June 21, 2021, quoted

• 'Can elite club owners transform European soccer?,' Forbes - April 20, 2021, author

• 'Business Leaders Unite To Oppose Voting Restrictions,' Forbes - April 16, 2021, author

• 'NCAA plays defense in U.S. Supreme Court athlete compensation case,' Reuters - April 1, 2021, quoted

• 'Two Soccer Clubs Fight It Out in Trademark Dispute,' Sports Litigation Alert - March 26, 2021, co-author

• 'Why college athletes must prepare for the name, image and likeness era,' Forbes - February 11, 2021, author

• 'Supreme Court To Hear Dispute Over NCAA's Athlete Compensation Rules,' The Hill - December 16, 2020, quoted

• 'How Marcus Rashford's Free Meal Campaign Highlights The Evolving Landscape Of Athlete Philanthropy,' Forbes - November 3, 2020, author

• 'Why sports focused SPACs are more than a current trend,' Forbes - October 23, 2020, author

• 'Why Senator Loeffler's Comments On WNBA's Black Lives Matter Support Fall Flat,' Forbes - July 24, 2020, author

• 'NCAA Amateurism Under Fire As 9th Circ. Opens Door To Pay,' Law360 - May 22, 2020, quoted

• 'NCAA Suffers Another Blow To Current Amateurism Model' Forbes - May 21, 2020, author

• 'Leading to, and Leaning into, the New Normal,' CEO World - April 14, 2020, co-author

• 'Will College Soccer Move Into The 21st Century,' Forbes - March 25, 2020, author

• 'Why Kobe Bryant's Second Act Was On A Trajectory To Become As Successful And Impactful As His Basketball Career,' Forbes - February 15, 2020, author

• 'Global Sports Stars, Entertainers, And Citizens Rally In Support of Wildfire Relief And Demand Action On Climate Change,' Forbes - January 14, 2020, author

• 'Why The NCAA Should Act Swiftly And Meaningfully On Allowing College Athletes To Profit On Their Name, Image, and Likeness,' Forbes - December 17, 2020, author

• 'How Gaming Star and Influencer Andrew "Nasher" Telfer is Growing the Sport of Hockey,' Forbes - October 30, 2019, author

• 'Why Coach Alberto Salazar's Suspension Doesn't Mean the end of Nike's Elite Oregon Project,' Forbes - October 8, 2019, author

• 'California becomes first state to allow college athletes to be compensated,' U.S. News & World Report - September 30, 2019, quoted

• 'Athlete-Pay Bills Force NCAA To Rethink Amateurism Stance,' Law360 - September 24th, 2019, Quoted

• 'A Failure to Lead,' Forbes - August 10, 2019, author

• 'Yael Averbuch West Is Paying It Forward,' Forbes - August 1, 2020, author

• 'U.S. Women Chase World Cup Title While Changing The World Around Them,' Forbes - June 12, 2019, author

• 'NASCAR Driver Parker Kligerman Comes Full Circle With Esports Team Ownership,' Forbes - May 24, 2019, author

• ‘NCAA Keeps Ball In Its Court With Review of Publicity Rules,' Law360 - May 20, 2020, quoted

• 'Crashing the Board,' Forbes - April 18, 2019, author

• 'How NBC Sports Analyst Kyle Martino is Shaking Up the American Soccer Culture,' Forbes - March 22, 2019, author

• 'How a Brand Built Around Lacrosse Launched an Athlete Entrepreneur,' Forbes - February 27, 2019, author

• 'Sports Cases To Watch In 2019,' Law360, January 2019, author

• 'NCAA corruption convictions may put schools in hot seat,' Law360 - November 2, 2018, quoted

• 'How did we get here? All the background you need on the saga surrounding Kevin Ollie's UConn contract,' Hartford Courant - September 29, 2018, quoted

• 'What are the obligations on footballers to conduct media activities? A comparison of the rules in UK, USA, Spain and Belgium,' __ LawInSport - September 28, 2018, co-author __

• 'Athlete activism is changing partnerships with brands,' - September 26, 2018, co-author

• 'NCAA reforms fail to fix basketball's corruption problem,' Law360 - August 17, 2018, quoted

• 'What's next for Kevin Ollie and UConn? We asked lawyers to weigh in,' Hartford Courant - August 8, 2018, quoted

• 'Planning to win: How athletes can protect their future finances,' World Sports Advocate - July 2018, co-author

• 'With states free to legalize sports betting, do the pro leagues deserve a cut?' The Washington Post - May 17, 2018, quoted

• 'Olympics bring trademark considerations for athletes,' Law360 - February 5, 2018, author

• 'SEC halts alleged initial coin offering scam endorsed by Evander Holyfield,' Withers article - January 31, 2018, co-author

• 'NFPLA announces continuing education requirements,' Withers article - January 30, 2018, co-author

• 'Cleveland Indians taking Chief Wahoo logo off uniforms but maintaining trademark,' Withers article - January 29, 2018, co-author

• 'NBA seeking 1 percent of every bet made on games if gambling legalized,' Withers article - January 26, 2018, co-author

• 'Minnesota Vikings quickly move to trademark phrases 'Minneapolis Miracle' and 'Minnesota Miracle',' Withers article - January 24, 2018, author

• '4 ways tax reform may affect the sports world,' Law360 - January 2, 2017, co-author

• 'Sports legislation and regulation to watch in 2018,' Law360 - January 1, 2017, quoted

• 'Newest peer pressure in American soccer: Going pro at 16,' Sports Business Journal - December 8, 2017

• 'Getting in on the ground floor,' Private Asset Management - March 2017, co-author

• 'Lessons learned from a highly successful proxy contest defense', Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation - December 18, 2015, co-author

• 'Day two of player contracts', World Sports Law Report - November 5, 2015, quoted

• 'Moving in the right direction: 2015 MLS collective bargaining agreement', Global Sports Law and Taxation Reports - September 2015, co-author

Admissions

• State of Connecticut, 2006

• State of New York, 2007

Education

• Suffolk Law School, cum laude, J.D.

• University of Connecticut, B.S.

Languages

• English
• Spanish

Memberships

• New York State Bar Association

• Hispanic National Bar Association

Key dates

• Year joined: 2015