CHARLES BAKER co-chairs Sidley’s Entertainment, Sports and Media industry group. Chuck represents investors in professional sports businesses and teams and advises on sports and entertainment transactions.
With decades of experience in the sports industry, Chuck has represented franchise owners across multiple leagues, including the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Liga MX, and multiple European football leagues. He recently advised on the record-breaking US$6.05B purchase of the Washington Commanders, the acquisition of the Charlotte Hornets, and the acquisition of the NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars. Chuck also represented the owners of Angel City FC and KC Current soccer franchises in their expansion into the NWSL and handles all of their commercial deals. Recently, he represented the owners of the Premier Hockey Federation, the top international women’s hockey league, in their sale to launch the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), as well as the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in their investment by SURJ Sports Investment of Saudi Arabia and the acquisition of Bellator MMA from Paramount Global.
Chuck has been highly recognized in the field of sports and entertainment law by multiple national publications. Most recently, he was listed in Who’s Who Legal: Sports & Gaming 2023, and The National Law Journal named him to its 2022 list of “Sports/Gaming/Entertainment Law Trailblazers.” Sports Business Journal also named him to their 2021 “Power Players” list, and Law360 added him to their 2020 “Sports & Betting MVPs.” In 2019, Chuck was named to The American Lawyer’s “Dealmakers of the Year” and Variety profiled him in “Dealmakers Elite New York” in 2018 and 2017. His extensive knowledge and experience have consistently earned him recognition by Chambers USA for Sports Law in USA – Nationwide (2011–2024), where he has been described as a “very smart and astute transactional lawyer” and a “very strong practitioner” who is “well connected, incredibly bright and just able to get the deal closed” with “tremendous experience and know-how in the sports space.”
Chuck is an active board member for the March of Dimes and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He is also an adjunct professor and advisory board member of the University of Miami School of Law’s Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M degree program and a distinguished lecturer at NYU’s Tisch Institute for Sports Management, Media, and Business. Chuck was also a staff associate for former Senator Bill Bradley.
Prior to joining Sidley, Chuck was a partner at another international law firm, where he served as the co-chair of its Sports Industry Group.
*Admitted to practice only in New York. Not admitted to practice in Florida.