Lisa M. Friel, special counsel to the NFL and a 1983 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, will be among experts at a symposium Monday that will focus, in part, on how investigations of accused athletes unfold. The event, sponsored by the Virginia Sports & Entertainment Law Journal and the Virginia Sports Law Society, will kick off with Friel’s remarks at 11:30 a.m. in the Purcell Reading Room.

Friel has served as senior vice president and special counsel for investigations at the NFL since 2015. The league created the position following various allegations of domestic violence against its players, including, most famously, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, who was videotaped assaulting his fiancée. 

Previously, Friel was in charge of sex crime prosecutions in the New York County District Attorney's office — a job she held for close to 30 years.

After Friel’s introduction she will serve on the panel “Investigations and Compliance in Sports,” co-sponsored by the Domestic Violence Project, at noon. Panelists will discuss the complexities of investigating professional and college athletes for alleged wrongdoing, which may include acts that take place off the playing field, and other issues related to legal compliance.

In addition to Friel, the panelists are Jason Baum, assistant director of compliance for UVA Athletics, and Gina Maisto Smith, an attorney with Cozen O’Connor in Philadelphia who focuses her practice on the institutional response to sexual and gender-based harassment and violence. Second-year law student Christopher Martin will moderate.

A second panel at 1 p.m., “Streaming the Fine Print: Copyright, Distribution and Regulatory Issues on Content Viewing Sites,” will feature commentary relating to both the transactional and litigation side of streaming and the use of popular TV and movie websites.

Moderated by Professor Dotan Oliar, the panel features Kerry Malloy Mustico, a senior counsel at Oppenheim + Zebrak who focuses on litigation involving copyright, trademark and internet-related matters; Eugene Pikulin, an associate at Bruns Brennan & Berry, a full-service transactional entertainment law firm practicing in film, television and new media; and Bill LeBeau, who has represented broadcast, cable and online programmers and distributors before the Federal Communications Commission as part of Holland & Knight's Media, Communications and Entertainment Practice Group.

Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.

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