{"id":616,"date":"2012-01-18T17:31:39","date_gmt":"2012-01-18T17:31:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.playermanagement.com\/?page_id=616"},"modified":"2017-04-25T16:08:35","modified_gmt":"2017-04-25T20:08:35","slug":"about-our-team","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/playermanagement.com\/?page_id=616","title":{"rendered":"Our Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ira Rainess<\/h3>\n
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Phone: 410.576.0001
\nFax: 410.547.2432<\/p>\n

201 N. Charles Street
\nSuite 2600
\nBaltimore, Maryland 21201<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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EDUCATION<\/h4>\n

J.D., University of Baltimore School of Law, 1992<\/strong><\/p>\n

B.A., University of Maryland, 1989<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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JURISDICTIONS ADMITTED TO PRACTICE<\/h4>\n

State of Maryland, 1992<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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FOCUS<\/h4>\n

Ira Rainess specializes in complex legal deal structuring and business development for a high profile client base with his Rainmaker Representation Group. As the go to management agent<\/i> in brand image development and athlete public\/private partnerships, he also serves as the Head of the Sports & Entertainment Law practice at Silverman, Thompson, Slutkin & White.\u00c2\u00a0 A visionary in the world of sports marketing,\u00c2\u00a0 his reputation is supported by staying ahead of the curve<\/i> for some of the world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s greatest celebrity clients.<\/p>\n

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PROFESSIONAL HISTORY<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Ira\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sports management career began in 1990 when he tutored under famed sports agent Ron Shapiro. There he established a relationship with baseball legend Cal Ripken, Jr. for whom he managed his marketing, business development, and legal matters as President and General Counsel for the Tufton Group. Creating and managing the first joint licensing partnership with MLB and MLBPA for his retirement tour, he pioneered Milestone Marketing<\/i>, a model for Ripken\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u01532131\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Consecutive Games record, later used by other athletes commemorating achievements\u00c2\u00a0 (NY TIMES 1997<\/i>).<\/p>\n

As President of Ripken and Aberdeen Professional Baseball, Ira spearheaded the development of the Ripken Baseball Complex in Maryland, a $38M facility that includes a 6,500 seat minor league baseball stadium and youth baseball fields. Working with a challenging public-private financing structure to build the Complex and the acquisition and relocation of the minor league baseball team, he later established the Cal Ripken World Series with Fox Sports Net.<\/p>\n

With one of the premiere Lacrosse sports practices in the country, he develops players like Paul Rabil, which the NY Times<\/i> describes as the LeBron James of the game (10\/14\/10)<\/i>. Loyola College Coach Diane Geppi Akens, who battled brain cancer, had her life commemorated with a book and movie rights deal led by Ira.<\/p>\n

More than a deal maker, Ira created negotiated and managed for Ray Lewis projects including the 2005 cover of Madden Football cover and as a spokesman for NFL Pro Line, EA Sports, Vitamin Water, Medifast, and Under Armour.<\/p>\n

Ira has been certified with MLBPA and the NFLPA and negotiated a $4.2M signing bonus for Gavin Floyd, at that time the largest MLB signing bonus ever for a HS pitcher. Ira has worked with corporate partners Red Bull, Chevrolet, EA Sports, McDonalds, Pepsi-Cola, Burger King, Nike, Reebok, adidas, Coca-Cola, Under Armour, Oakley, Vitamin Water, CBS Sportsline, USAir, Frito Lay, AIG, MBNA, Sprint, Merck, Sony, McDonalds and Warrier Sports.<\/p>\n

In addition to sports industry clients, Ira has provided counsel to R&B star MARIO. As consultant to actor John Leguizamo with his agent role in the movie \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Fan\u00e2\u20ac\u009d starring Robert Deniro and Wesley Snipes, Ira was personally named in the movie. He also managed Jason Alexander\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s public relations when he was married to Brittany Spears for 55 hours.<\/p>\n

Recruited as an expert in his field, Ira has appeared on CNN, HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, ESPN’s Outside the Lines<\/i> and SportsCenter <\/i>and has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Sports Business Journal, Sporting News and USA Today. <\/i>He <\/i>was also n<\/i>amed to the prestigious 40 under 40<\/span> by the Baltimore Business Journal<\/i> and was a national nominee to the SBJournal.<\/i><\/p>\n

A Member of the Maryland Bar, Ira is a graduate of the University of Maryland COB and the University of Baltimore Law School, where he serves on the Board of the Sports Law Institute and is an Adjunct Professor.<\/p>\n

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Steven D. Silverman<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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ssilverman@mdattorney.com <\/a>Download VCard<\/a>Phone: 410.385.2225 Fax: 410.547.2432201 N. Charles Street Suite 2600 Baltimore, Maryland 21201<\/div>\n
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Education<\/h4>\n
J.D., University of Baltimore School of Law, 1991<\/div>\n
B.A., University of Richmond, 1988<\/div>\n
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Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice<\/h4>\n

State of Maryland, 1991 United States District Court, District of Maryland, 1994 District of Columbia, 2002<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Focus<\/h4>\n

Mr. Silverman is co-founder of the Rainmaker Reprsentation Group and\u00c2\u00a0managing partner of\u00c2\u00a0 Silverman| Thompson| Slutkin| White.\u00c2\u00a0 Mr. Silverman has over\u00c2\u00a0twenty years of sports and entertainment law experience.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 He has been named as\u00c2\u00a0 a Maryland “Super Lawyer” for civil litigation since 2007.<\/p>\n

In addition, Mr. Silverman\u00c2\u00a0has developed significant amount of experience in representing professional boxers in drafting managerial and promotional contracts.\u00c2\u00a0 As one of RRM’s\u00c2\u00a0entertainment law\u00c2\u00a0attorneys, he\u00c2\u00a0has been\u00c2\u00a0retained by prominent professional boxers to litigate their contract disputes. A sampling of\u00c2\u00a0some recent boxing clients includes former World Champions and Olympic Medalists Riddick Bowe and Virgil Hill, amongst others.<\/p>\n

Mr. Silverman’s cases have often been reported in the international print media. He has appeared on broadcast media programs including BBC Worldwide, the Dr. Phil Show and ESPN Sports Center, to name a few.\u00c2\u00a0 He has served as a legal consultant for the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun, and other media outlets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Mr. Silverman’s experience provides our clients with the ability to receive guidance from the point multiple points of views.\u00c2\u00a0 Mr. Silverman’s litigation experience provides insight into structuring deals that are designed to mitigate problems in the future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ryan S. Kaufman<\/h3>\n
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rkaufman@playermanagement.com<\/a> Phone: 410.385.2225 Fax: 410.547.2432201 N. Charles Street Suite 2600 Baltimore, Maryland 21201<\/div>\n
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Education<\/h4>\n
J.D., University of Baltimore School of Law, 2011 Magna Cum Laude<\/em> Heuisler Honor Society (Top 10%)<\/div>\n
B.A., University of Michigan, 2007 Graduated with High Distinction<\/div>\n
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Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice<\/h4>\n

State of Maryland, 2011<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Professional & Bar Association Memberships<\/h4>\n

Maryland State Bar Association<\/p>\n

Baltimore City Bar Association<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Focus<\/h4>\n
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Mr. Kaufman serves as the Vice President Rainmaker Representation Group.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Professional History<\/h4>\n
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Mr. Kaufman attended college at the University of Michigan, where he graduated with High Distinction in 2007. He attended the University of Baltimore School of Law after spending a year as a paralegal in the D.C. office of White & Case, LLP. During law school he was a staff member on the University of Baltimore Law Review<\/em> and President of the Entertainment, Arts, & Sports Law Society. He also spent time interning with Octagon, Inc. and the Baltimore Orioles.<\/p>\n

He graduated Magna Cum Laude<\/em> in 2011 and is a member of the Heuisler Honor Society (Top 10%).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n