Sivonnia DeBarros

Former D1 Track and Field Athlete & Founder of SL DeBarros Law Firm

Sivonnia DeBarros - the Protector of Athletes - is a first-generation lawyer and law business owner, woman in business and a former track and field Division-I College athlete. DeBarros graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law with her J.D. in 2013, received a M.S. in Criminal Justice from Everest University in 2010, and her B.S. in Political Science from University of South Florida in 2008.

DeBarros has represented pro athletes from the NFL, MLS, NBA-G League, and Pro-Table Tennis sports; 7- figure National Brands and NY Times Best-Selling Authors by helping them to properly set up businesses, put proper agreements in place and create legacies that will pay dividends in the future.

DeBarros has been featured on CBS, ABC, WGN, Shoutout LA, and a host of podcasts such as A Frugal Athlete, Influential Entrepreneurs, Tackle What’s Next, and Maximum Lawyer to name a few. DeBarros is passionate about helping athletes, women, and first-generation business owners because she understands the peculiar struggle many have faced by not having the necessary support and guidance to be successful.

Additionally, DeBarros is a public speaker, entrepreneur, and a bestselling published author of What Are You Sporting About?. DeBarros is also the creator of the proprietary program “Have Your S.A.E.™” that was designed with collegiate athletes in mind and the author of the new Amazon bestselling book, Athletes Making Moves, released on July 31, 2021.

DeBarros previously authored The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act: the Roadblocks to Recovery law article, published in Chicago-Kent College Of Law’s Seventh Circuit’s Review Law Journal, and published the new Children’s Books, JoJo Learns About Credibility and JoJo Learns About Voting, which are the first two books of her new Children Series, JoJo’s Legal Adventures.

To learn more about Attorney DeBarros, her firm or her publications, please visit www.sldebarros.com or buy her book on Amazon.

Learn more about her legal services at www.sldebarros.com. Listen to her podcast, get updates on sports legal issues and more at www.prosportlawyer.com.

David Meluni

Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University

Meluni joined the Sport Management faculty full-time in 2018 after having spent the previous four years as an adjunct professor in the department.

Meluni has over 20 years of experience in the sport industry, including two years as Vice President of Sales and Business Development for both 805 Stats and Infinity Sports and Entertainment. He spent five years as the Vice President of Sales at SIDEARM Sports, where he negotiated and signed agreements with the University of Texas, University of Kansas, the Heisman Trophy, and the Maui Invitational as well as hundreds of Division I, II and III institutions.

Prior to working in the digital space, the Syracuse native spent 10 years with IMG College, the multi-media rights holder at Syracuse University, where he maintained a client base of over $1.1 million per year.

Meluni earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Ithaca College in Sport Management, where he was captain and NCAA All-Region infielder for the Bombers’ baseball team. In 1999, he was selected to attend the prestigious NCAA Leadership Conference. He then attended Florida State University as a Graduate Assistant in the Seminoles’ ticket office, and earned his Master’s Degree in Sport Administration in 2001. He then worked as a Marketing Assistant at FSU, assisting with football, women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, baseball and softball before moving back to Syracuse.

Meluni is an officer with the New York Collegiate Baseball League, serves on the board for the Camillus Softball and Baseball Association, coaches travel teams for the Camillus Wildcats and Sports Zone, and is a volunteer assistant coach for the West Genesee varsity baseball team.

Will Baggett

Founder, Emergent Executives LLC

Will Baggett, founder of Emergent Executives LLC, is widely regarded as one of the top presenters in the country. Baggett’s passion for developing young professionals spans across his 10 year career in sports, having served stints at the American Football Coaches Association, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, IMG/Learfield, College Football Playoff and currently On Location Experiences.

In 2016, he published a bestselling guide for young professionals entitled, The Blueprint for a Successful Career. In 2017, he followed up with the launch of the Executive Image workshop, a nationally-recognized personal branding workshop.

He is a self-proclaimed high-school-has-been in basketball, and enjoys archery, kayaking and real estate investing. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Mississippi and master's at Baylor University.

Luke Fedlam

Parter, Porter Wright Sports Law Practice Group

Luke leads the Sports Law Practice Group. As a non-agent sports attorney, he brings a well-rounded approach to the challenges athletes face at any phase of their career. Working with an athlete’s team of advisors, he provides the essential, objective and balanced counsel necessary to leverage the matter at hand.

Luke regularly advises a range of clients – from student athletes transitioning into professional sports, professional athletes navigating life on a team, to retiring athletes creating the game plan for their life after sports – on matters including marketing contract analysis, immigration issues, investment opportunity due diligence, asset protection, real estate development, brand and mark protection, as well as trust and estates.

Luke is co-executive director of the College Basketball Parents Association (CBPA), an organization focused on educating and providing resources to NCAA college basketball parents. He is also the host of the podcast, Protecting Your Possibilities and leads the educational advisory firm, Anomaly Sports Group.

Prior to joining Porter Wright, Luke served as a legal manager in the mergers and acquisitions area, and director of business development at The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.