Sidley represented the owners of the Portland Sea Dogs, a Major League Baseball (MLB)-affiliated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) club based in Portland, Maine, in connection with the sale of the Sea Dogs to an affiliate of Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), which is owned by Silver Lake. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and will continue to be managed by the current management team. The club experienced a record-breaking season in 2022, setting franchise records for sales in tickets, merchandise, concessions, and sponsorships. The Sea Dogs are the 14th MiLB club to be acquired by DBH, which was formed in 2021 to support, promote, and enhance MiLB clubs affiliated with MLB through professional management, best practices, innovation, and investment.
The Sidley team was led by sports partners Irwin Raij and Eric Geffner. The team also included: Greg Fritzius and Max Budowsky (Entertainment, Sports and Media / M&A and Private Equity); and Rachel Kleinberg and Jonathan Westreich (Tax).
The Sea Dogs sale was the fifth sale of an MiLB club handled by partner Irwin Raij in the past year.
