News & Insights

Lightfoot Partners Tenley Armstrong and Brandon Essig Publish Article about Intersection of College Athletics and Criminal Law in University Business

September 16, 2018

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (September 17, 2018) — Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC partners Tenley E. Armstrong and Brandon K. Essig recently co-authored an article published in University Business.

Titled “When law enforcement comes calling: The growing challenge of managing athletics investigations,” the article examines the multi-faceted legal risks facing college athletic departments and how regulatory issues, such as NCAA or Title IX violations, increasingly overlap with criminal law.

“This challenge is compounded by the fact that most of the legal issues presented by the intersection of college athletics and the criminal law are brand new,” write Armstrong and Essig. “As a result, there is no definitive answer to be found in the traditional sources — statutes, case law, NCAA bylaws, or administrative guidance from federal and state governments.”

The article goes on to outline key legal issues that arise when an institution finds itself investigating a matter that straddles college athletics and criminal law.

Both Armstrong and Essig are members of the firm’s White Collar Criminal Defense and Corporate Investigations and NCAA Compliance and Investigations practice groups.

Armstrong’s practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, corporate investigations and NCAA and Title IX compliance and investigations. She has represented individuals, companies, and educational institutions accused of a variety of criminal and civil violations, ranging from healthcare fraud to Title IX violations to sexual harassment.

Essig’s practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, corporate investigations and NCAA compliance and investigations. He is a seasoned trial attorney, having tried dozens of cases between his time at Lightfoot and as a former Assistant United States Attorney. He has also represented colleges, universities and individual coaches in NCAA and Title IX investigations.