Joey Blake
Overview
Joey Blake is a dynamic litigator whose practice includes commercial, sports, antitrust, and IP matters. His experience litigating cases in federal court across different practice areas makes him an invaluable asset to his clients.
Joey has maintained a commercial litigation practice in both federal and state courts throughout his career. In this area of his practice, he has primarily represented oil, gas, and energy entities in actions involving breach of contract and tort claims.
Joey’s practice also consists of him representing college athletes in litigation and counseling sports organizations regarding business disputes. Most notably, he served as class counsel for collegiate athletes in a landmark antitrust case resulting in billions of dollars in additional benefits. His client-first focus and in-depth knowledge of college and professional sports industries has helped to secure extraordinary outcomes.
Joey also litigates copyright cases on behalf of individuals and entities in the music and technology industries. His ability to evaluate unique business needs has led to him securing settlements on behalf of his clients. He also has experience prosecuting trademark applications and representing trademark clients in front of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Credentials
Education
- Vanderbilt University Law School, 2020 (J.D.)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2015 (B.A.), magna cum laude
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- Represented classes of student-athletes nationwide in two antitrust lawsuits concerning the use of athletes’ name, image & likeness (NIL) that resulted in a landmark settlement providing $2.8 billion in back pay damages and an annual $20.5 million cap for colleges and universities to distribute revenue to their athletes.
- Represented clients in multiple complex commercial actions, including the defense of an electric cooperative in a multimillion-dollar breach of contract suit.
- Defended a business and its owner in a copyright infringement suit brought by music publishing companies; drafted a successful Brief in Opposition to the U.S. Supreme Court that resulted in a denial of plaintiffs’ petition for writ of certiorari.
- Obtained a favorable settlement for a software development company that alleged a competitor misappropriated its source code for software applications.
- Counseled clients on rules and regulations related to operating an NIL collective for college sports.
- Counseled a coalition of racing teams on strategy for asserting antitrust claims against the entity controlling the relevant market.
- Advised second largest hospital in New Hampshire on securing regulatory and antitrust approvals for its sale to the nation’s largest hospital chain following investigations by the NH Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission.
- Secured a settlement for a prison inmate in a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 suit alleging deliberate indifference to his medical needs by employees of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
- Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, Entertainment and Sports Law, 2026; Commercial Litigation, 2025-2026
- The National Black Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40, 2023
- Dallas Bar Association
- Minority Participation Committee, Vice Chair
- Entertainment, Art & Sports Law Section, Council Member
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Pathfinder, 2024
- “IP Basics for Working with Pro Bono Clients,” ABA Young Lawyers Division, August 25, 2023
- “NIL Collectives: How the Biggest Thing in NIL Has Exposed the NCAA’s Rulemaking,” The Houston Lawyer, September/October 2022