Sports • NIL • Revenue Share • Athlete Representation

Know Before
You Sign

NIL deals, revenue share offers and agent contracts move fast, and the paperwork rarely favors the athlete. DMW Consulting reads the fine print, explains it in plain language and negotiates terms that protect your name, your eligibility and your future.

Practice areas

Before You Sign

Every agreement an athlete signs shapes what comes next. We review, explain and negotiate the three kinds of contracts that matter most in college and professional sports today.

AgreementNIL

NIL & Endorsement Agreements

Brand deals, collective agreements, appearances and social media campaigns.

What we read for

  • Payment terms and deliverables
  • Exclusivity and conflicts with team sponsors
  • How long the deal runs and how it ends
  • Reporting for deals of $600 or more
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AgreementRevenue Share

Revenue Share Agreements

Direct payments from schools under the House settlement, in place since July 1, 2025.

What we read for

  • What rights the school is buying
  • Roster, transfer and buyout terms
  • How payments are scheduled and stopped
  • How it fits with outside NIL income
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AgreementRepresentation

Agent & Representation Agreements

Contracts with agents, marketing firms and managers.

What we read for

  • Commission rates and what they apply to
  • Length of the agreement and exit terms
  • Who actually does the work
  • State registration rules for agents
×Signature

Nothing gets signed until someone on your side has read every line.

The question every family asks

Do I Need an Agent, an Attorney—or Both?

They do different jobs. Knowing the difference keeps you from paying twice, or from signing something no one on your side has read.

An agent

Finds opportunities, markets the athlete and brings deals to the table. Usually paid a percentage of what the athlete earns.

An attorney

Owes the athlete a legal duty. Reviews and negotiates the contracts, including the agent’s own agreement, and protects eligibility and long-term rights.

Both

Many athletes benefit from an agent who finds the deals and an attorney who makes sure each one is fair before anyone signs.

Donald M. Woodard in a black suit and black shirt, smiling, hands folded, against a dark gray backdrop

Donald M. WoodardFounder, DMW Consulting

About DMW Consulting

Counsel That Has Been at the Table

Donald M. Woodard is a nationally recognized transactional lawyer and one of the country’s leading authorities on athlete representation, NIL and the business of sports.

He has represented athletes at landmark moments in the NIL era, including Angel Reese, the first college athlete to sign a Reebok sneaker deal; Flau’jae Johnson, the first women’s college basketball player signed by Puma and Roc Nation; and Ashton Jeanty, the 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up and sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Today he advises athletes, families and institutions on college sports after the House settlement, and serves as counsel to Rev Racing and USA Track & Field. He is also managing partner and co-founder of Carter+Woodard, an Atlanta entertainment and sports law firm.

Education
Morehouse College
Indiana University Maurer School of Law
Recognition
Variety, Top Hollywood Entertainment Lawyer
Billboard, Top Music Lawyer
Georgia Super Lawyer

Client stories

Real Situations. Real Stakes.

What happens when an athlete asks the right questions before signing.

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The Five-Day Deadline

A first-year athlete is handed a collective agreement and told the offer expires Friday.

Read the story

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The Agent’s Fine Print

A family signs with a marketing agent who takes a cut of every dollar, including school payments.

Read the story

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The Sponsor Conflict

A national brand offers a deal that clashes with the school’s apparel partner.

Read the story

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each matter is different and depends on its own facts. Client stories are shared with permission, and some details have been changed to protect privacy.

Support at home

For Parents & Families

Many athletes are 17 or 18 when the first offer arrives, and parents are often the ones asked to read it. You don’t have to sort it out alone.

  • We explain each agreement in plain language, so the whole family understands what is being signed.
  • We flag terms that could affect eligibility, scholarships or a future transfer.
  • We check whether an agent or marketing firm is properly registered and fairly paid.
  • We help you set a plan for taxes, record keeping and reporting deals as they come in.

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is NIL?

NIL stands for name, image and likeness. College athletes can be paid when a business uses their name, picture or personal brand, such as in an ad, a social media post or an autograph signing.

Under the House v. NCAA settlement, approved in June 2025, participating schools can pay athletes directly. Those payments began on July 1, 2025. A revenue share agreement is the contract between the athlete and the school that sets those payments and what the school gets in return.

Yes. Under the current rules, third-party NIL deals worth $600 or more must be reported to the NIL Go clearinghouse within five days of signing. We help make sure deals are reported on time and written so they can be approved.

An agent finds and markets opportunities. An attorney reviews and negotiates the contracts and owes you a legal duty. Many athletes use both. We can review an agent’s agreement before you sign it.

Before you sign anything. The best time is as soon as you receive an offer, so there is time to ask questions and negotiate.

Yes. Parents and guardians often reach out first. Choose “Parent or guardian” on the form below.

That depends on the agreement and what it needs. We will explain the fee before any work begins.

No. Submitting the form does not create an attorney-client relationship. That only happens once we both agree to it in writing.

Get started

Request a Consultation

Tell us what you’re facing. If there’s a signing deadline, include it and we’ll respond with that date in mind.

Do you have an agreement for us to review?

Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send confidential information until we have agreed in writing to represent you.

Sports • NIL • Revenue Share • Athlete Representation

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This website is attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.