Attorney
Throughout his career Harris has continuously sought to elevate legal academia, improve industry standard, and create a more sustainable economic foundation for esports teams and ancillary businesses. Harris is an attorney at ESG Law, the world’s first esports specific law firm, where he represents roughly 70% of all tier 1 North American and European esports teams, as well as their non-endemic professional sports partners. At the esports league level, Harris has played a crucial role in redefining team governance and revenue sharing rights, having played a leading role in LCS, LEC, OWL and CDL league-team negotiations since 2016. Harris has drafted and negotiated several of the most notable team sponsorship deals with endemic and non-endemic partners such as PUMA, BMW, AT&T, Logitech, and Dr. Pepper, among others. In 2017 Harris revolutionized LCS team-legal strategies when he became the first attorney to file an EB-1A (US Green Card) application on behalf of an esports player and in turn helped that player acquire US residency so as to avoid being counted as a foreign import against Riot’s team foreign import cap.
Since the start of 2018 Harris has led the esports academic community serving as Executive Director and Chairman of the Publications, Public Policy, and Membership Committees of the Esports Bar Association. Today the EBA has: over 200 attorney and student members, organized three esports legal conferences, distributed the first ever esports legal academic journal, and advised state legislatures on policies that will affect the esports business landscape. The EBA is primed to become a leading esports policy and academic organization in the United States. Harris is an adjunct professor at the University of New Hampshire School of Law where he lectures on esports gambling legal issues.
In 2016 Harris brokered the acquisition of H2K Gaming on behalf of US based investors. At the time, the acquisition was one of the largest in European esports history. After brokering the acquisition, Harris served as Chief of Operations and Associate General Counsel for H2K Gaming where he helped to assemble the famed H2K squad that finished third in the world at the 2016 League of Legends World Championships.
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Publications by Harris Peskin
Understanding Nintendo's Licensed Tournament Guidelines
In this article we cover Nintendo's Licensed Tournament Guidelines, and what organizers can do to ensure compliance while applying for, and after receiving, a tournament license.
By Harris Peskin
The H3CZ Scump Activision Lawsuit A Lawyers Perspective
An anti-trust and intellectual property analysis of the HecZ and Scump lawsuit against Activision Blizzard.
By Harris Peskin
Unionization in Esports
A discussion of the legal hurdles surrounding unionization in esports and the traditional sports caselaw on the subject.
By Harris Peskin
Fixing Esports Finances: A Salary Cap Course Taught By Traditional Sports
A piece on salary caps in esports, comparing pro sports & describing the challenges of collective bargaining, antitrust, corporate, and employment law.
By Harris Peskin