This attorney has been selected for the recognitions mentioned herein, which have been conferred by the corresponding publications and/or organizations noted. An overview of the award selection methodologies for these recognitions can be found at https://www.gibbonslaw.com/awards. Links to certain specific methodologies are embedded in individual entries. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Mr. Deni has a diverse practice in litigation, general counseling, and sports law, with clients ranging from MLB Cy Young Award winners and Olympic gold medalists to Fortune 100 companies and international ultra-high net worth family offices. He is included on the Best Lawyers© list for Commercial Litigation
Mr. Deni is litigation counsel in high-profile cases involving hundreds of millions of dollars, but recognizes the importance of cost effective representation and open communication with clients to achieve their goals. He also appreciates that smaller disputes may have particular significance, especially for privately held companies, family offices, and individuals, which is why he prides himself on practical problem solving.
He is a trial lawyer fully conversant in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Evidence and the state court rules of New Jersey and New York. Having served a clerkship in the United States District for the District of New Jersey, he is especially attuned to the Local Civil Rules and Local Patent Rules of the District of New Jersey. He represents companies from diverse industries, including pharmaceuticals, financial services, consumer goods, energy, raw materials, and healthcare. He litigates a wide range of matters in federal and state courts, including complex contractual and commercial disputes, trademark and patent infringement, business torts, partnership disputes, and antitrust.
Mr. Deni’s litigation training and experience are appreciative assets when he is advising family offices and privately held companies who seek his advice for efficient solutions to problems that require discretion and confidentiality.
In his sports and entertainment practice, he advises professional athletes, Olympians, coaches, teams, and entertainers. He represents athletes in contract negotiations with professional clubs and in sponsorship endorsements. He is certified as a contract advisor by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and is qualified as an agent by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). He has been included on the New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars list and was recognized in American Lawyer as one of the NFL agents who hail from AmLaw200 law firms.
Areas of Focus
Sports Law
One of only two attorneys in the country to be selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list in Entertainment & Sports Law for six consecutive years, Mr. Deni represents athletes, coaches, executives, and entertainers in endorsement and employment contract negotiations. His experience includes representing a Major League Baseball Cy Young Award winner, NFL players including quarterbacks, international soccer players, and Olympic gold medalists. He is Certified by the NFL Players Association as a contract advisor and has negotiated millions of dollars’ worth of NFL contracts, based on research and analysis of historic and current contractual trends to maximize his clients’ earning potential. He also serves as lead counsel in Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) arbitrations.
Utilizing the unique synergies of working in a large law firm representing athletes, Mr. Deni is able to capitalize on endorsement opportunities and negotiation strategies from the rational and educated perspective of an attorney and professor of sports law. He creates realistic marketing plans to enhance opportunities for long-term growth while building a client’s reputation for a post-athletic career. He advises colleges and college athletes in NIL (name, image, likeness) issues. He also advises coaches and scouts.
Federal Court Litigation
Having clerked in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Mr. Deni is intimately familiar with the New Jersey Federal Practice Rules, including the Local Patent Rules. In addition to the District of New Jersey, where he has tried several cases to verdict, he actively litigates matters in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, paying special attention to the New York and New Jersey Rules of Court, Local Patent Rules for the District of New Jersey and Southern District of New York, and the customs and practices unique to these particular jurisdictions. He is a frequent local counsel resource to national counsel litigating in these jurisdictions.
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical
Mr. Deni represents patent holders in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. He serves as litigation counsel, local counsel, and co-counsel to national law firms litigating patent issues in the District of New Jersey and the Southern District of New York. He also serves as lead counsel for pharmaceutical companies for matters affecting their business interests.
Energy Litigation
Mr. Deni represents participants in the electric power industry in the federal courts. His involvement in litigating constitutional issues affecting the energy industry serves as a valuable resource to regulatory counsel. His experience, including a full trial to verdict with a positive outcome, serves as a foundation for assisting clients in analyzing the array of regulations and statutes that impacts the business side of the energy industry.
Restrictive Covenant Litigation
Mr. Deni is often called on to assist clients in both enforcing and challenging restrictive covenants, including non-solicit, non-compete, and non-disclosure covenants. He is especially attuned to litigating disputes involving trade secrets and unfair competition. He is sensitive to the emergent nature of these matters and expeditiously generates court papers to support or oppose emergent applications. Upon stabilizing an emergency situation, Mr. Deni endeavors to resolve the issues cost effectively through negotiation, but will not hesitate to take a more aggressive approach, based on his client’s guidance.
Minority Shareholder Disputes
Mr. Deni represents oppressed minority shareholders, often in closely held family businesses, as well as majority shareholders accused of oppression. He understands the emotional impact this type of litigation may have on families and is sensitive to the difficult decisions that must be made to resolve disputes, while also aggressively advocating to ensure his clients’ interests and goals are met.
Credentials
Education
Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D.)
Colgate University (B.A.)
Professional Admissions
State of New Jersey
State of New York
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
National Football League Contract Advisor
Professional Activities
American Bar Association
Hispanic National Bar Association
New Jersey State Bar Association
Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section
New York State Bar Association
Entertainment Arts & Sports Law Section
Judicial Clerkship(s)
Judicial clerk to the Honorable Dennis M. Cavanaugh, United States District Court, District of New Jersey
Languages
Italian