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Taylor Porter Partner, Executive Committee Member and Sports Law Attorney Bob Barton delivered a presentation, "Recent Developments in Sports Law," at the 2016 Baton Rouge Bar Association Bench Bar Conference, held July 23 at the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa, in Point Clear, Alabama.

From Title IX compliance to the Baylor University sexual assault investigation, Tom Brady's Deflategate, the Northwestern football unionization attempt and the New Jersey sports betting efforts, Barton discussed the biggest cases and issues over the last several years in sports law and the rulings in each of those situations. Barton also highlighted several primary areas of developing sports law, including Title IX, antitrust, labor, right-of-publicity, concussions/safety and NCAA compliance.

Barton serves as vice-chairman of the Taylor Porter Executive Committee and co-leader of the Business and Commercial Litigation practice. For more than 20 years, he has practiced in commercial litigation and transactions, regulatory and compliance matters, and general litigation, including sports law. He represents colleges and universities in matters pertaining to NCAA, NAIA, and conference rules and regulations, and in other litigation, contract and compliance matters concerning their athletic departments. He also has represented the NCAA in litigation with a former student-athlete claiming concussions and other injuries allegedly resulting from intercollegiate athletic practice and competition. 

Barton has represented universities in Title IX issues, and related dealings with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights. He is an adjunct professor teaching a course on Sports Law at Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, and he is a former member of the LSU National Collegiate Athletic Association Re-accreditation Committee. 

Barton graduated from Louisiana State University in 1990 and earned his Juris Doctor cum laude and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Georgia.