Charles H Baker

Practice Areas

CHARLES BAKER is a partner and 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 sports franchise purchases 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. Recently, he represented Mitchell Rales and Earvin “Magic” Johnson in connection with their lead investment in the record-breaking US$6.05 billion acquisition of the Washington Commanders. He also advised Todd Boehly (owner of Chelsea FC) in his acquisition of a significant interest in the Los Angeles Lakers and David Tepper’s US$2.275 billion purchase of the Carolina Panthers. In addition, Chuck represented eBay Founder Jeff Skoll in a significant investment in Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns and operates the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, and Washington Mystics. He also represented the owners of Angel City FC and KC Current soccer franchises in their expansion into the NWSL, as well as Monarch Collective, a new US$100 million investment fund focused exclusively on women’s professional sports. Finally, Chuck served as lead counsel for Arctos Sports Partners in connection with multiple minority investments in NHL and NBA franchises.