ALAN I. ROTHENBERG, Chairman
A highly respected individual in the legal and sports industries, Alan I. Rothenberg has over 40 years of executive-level sports experience and is a renowned expert in sports business and law. He serves as Chairman of Premier Partnerships, a firm specializing in maximizing revenues for sports teams, leagues, venues, and public facilities.
Rothenberg spearheaded soccer’s rise in the U.S. during the 1990’s as Chairman and CEO of the 1994 World Cup Organizing Committee; was Chairman of the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Games; President of the U.S. Soccer Federation; Chairman of the U.S. Soccer Foundation; and, founder of Major League Soccer.
The 1994 World Cup was the most successful in FIFA history averaging more than a still record 64,000 fans per game, with an operating surplus of over $60 million. He was Chairman of the breakthrough 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Soccer Commissioner for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, and the founder of MLS. Previously, he was an owner of the L.A. Aztecs of the NASL. For his accomplishments, FIFA bestowed upon him its coveted Order of Merit and he was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame.
Rothenberg was a top executive in the NBA during the 1970s and 1980s. While serving as Vice President and General Counsel of Jack Kent Cooke, Inc. and California Sports, Inc., he represented the Lakers on the NBA’s Board of Governors from 1971-79, and was a member of the Board of Governors during his tenure as President of the Clippers from 1982-90.
Rothenberg appeared regularly on ESPN’s “Sportslook”, has been an instructor of Sports Law at USC, and is former Chairman of the American Bar Association’s Committee on Sports Law.
Recently, Rothenberg was honored by the SportsBusiness Journal at the IMG World Congress of Sports with the “Champions in Sports Business” award for his career successes.
A former President of the State Bar of California, Rothenberg practiced law for over 35 years. He was a founder and name partner at Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg, and Phillips for more than 20 years, followed by 10 years as a partner at Latham & Watkins in 1990. His law practice involved matters drawn from the financial, business, sports and entertainment fields. He currently serves as a commercial arbitrator and mediator in complex business matters.
Rothenberg has served on several public company boards, including Arden Realty, CPK, Inc., and Zenith National. He served as President of The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners. He is a founder and Chairman of 1st Century Bank. He is Vice Chairman of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce; is past President of the Constitutional Rights Foundation and Fraternity of Friends of the Music Center; was Chairman of the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau; is Chairman of the Los Angeles Sports Council; and, a member of the board of the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission and the Southern California Committee for the Olympics.
A longtime resident of California, Rothenberg received a B.A. and Jurist Doctor with Distinction from the University of Michigan.