Christian Addison '17L was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL. He graduated from the Virginia Navy Institute in 2014, the place he was commissioned into america Air Pressure as a second lieutenant. He instantly attended Washington and Lee as a part of the federal authorities's delay schooling program. Throughout regulation faculty, he targeted on mental property issues and efficiently handed america Patent and Trademark Workplace bar examination throughout his two-liter 12 months. After commencement, he joined the Decide Advocate Normal (JAG) program as a captain. As a JAG, he dealt with over 30 federal circumstances throughout his five-year profession, by no means shedding a single case. After transitioning from energetic obligation, Christian opened Addison Sports activities & Leisure, generally known as ASE Illustration, a full-service sports activities and leisure company. His company focuses on illustration in 5 industries: skilled soccer, golf and lacrosse, school athletics by means of the NIL, and the digital dance music business.
Discuss your profession path and the way it led you from being a JAG lawyer to beginning your personal sports activities and expertise company and advertising and marketing company?
I all the time knew I needed to be a sports activities agent. My household jokes that my dad confirmed me Jerry McGuire as a child, and from that day on I knew he was all I needed. I majored in mental property and trademark regulation in regulation faculty as a result of I believed it would sooner or later differentiate my credentials as an agent. Once I grew to become a JAG, I utilized for the litigation route as a result of in my eyes these abilities have been transferable to being an agent. After all, there isn’t any sport per say, however litigation teaches you to suppose rapidly in your toes, to steer folks together with your written and verbal phrases, to be assured, to anticipate issues and resolve them, and most significantly, to symbolize a consumer underneath stress and execute.
What sort of authorized issues do you take care of every single day?
The distinctive factor about being an agent is that you just by no means know what your day will seem like. Increased authorized issues happen when negotiating a participant's contract or sponsorship alternatives. Nevertheless, it’s important to be normal from daily. In case your consumer has an issue with their landlord, their automobile breaks down, they want somebody to speak to as a result of they've simply been benched or minimize, it’s essential to be there to repair it. I prefer to joke that I'm not simply my participant's agent, I'm their therapist, hype, enterprise supervisor and good friend. No matter they want, I'm able to ship it.
What do you want about your present job?
Sports activities have been every part to me since I used to be a toddler. I'm very early in my profession as a sports activities agent, so I haven't been capable of get pleasure from all of the perks of the job that folks suppose comes with being an agent. However I'm consistently reminded of how fortunate I’m to have the ability to attend a recreation, press convention, or media shoot — and that's what I name “work.” For me, I’m residing my dream and I’m so grateful to my household for letting me pursue this business and to my purchasers who’ve entrusted me to information them on this journey.
What classes and/or experiences at W&L have you ever discovered most useful in making ready for this profession transfer?
I cherished figuring out! I'm a hands-on scholar, so I actually loved my 3L 12 months and all of the autonomy and expertise it introduced with it. I believe that's what makes W&L so distinctive—it permits us to pursue issues that we're obsessed with. I cherished the mental property and tax practices and hope to deliver a sports activities practicum to W&L sooner or later quickly!
What recommendation do you have got for future regulation college students?
If you’re concerned about sports activities, contact anybody and everybody within the business and decide their mind. A mentor of mine as soon as advised me, “It's not about who you understand in sports activities, it's about who is aware of you.” The sports activities business may be intimidating, however I believe you'll be stunned how many individuals really reply and are prepared to assist. So don't hesitate to ship a LinkedIn message or e-mail to everybody you come throughout who has a job that sounds fascinating to you. The worst they’ll do just isn’t reply, however I assure you lots of will and it’ll result in fruitful connections for you. Good luck and go get them!
