A Preeminent Sports-Centered Law Firm

Howard L. Jacobs

Howard Jacobs has been identified by leading national and international publications as one of the leading sports lawyers in the world. He is an athlete’s lawyer and not a sports agent. He represents athletes in all types of disputes, with a particular focus on the defense of athletes charged with doping and other disciplinary offenses. He has represented over 300 professional athletes, Olympic athletes and amateur athletes in disputes involving doping, salary issues, team selection issues, SafeSport issues, endorsements, unauthorized use of name and likeness, and other matters. Howard Jacobs has been consistently listed by the Chambers Guide as one of the top ranked lawyers in the United States for athletic disputes. In addition to his law practice, Howard Jacobs is an Adjunct Professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, where he teaches sports law.

As an athlete advocate, Howard provides a voice for athletes and others in all types of disputes; he has argued many landmark cases for athletes, winning cases that have set precedents and established better and more fair practices. Because of this, Howard Jacobs is a sought after expert on sports law issues.

Howard graduated from Florida State University and William and Mary Law School. He ran cross country and track & field for Florida State University and competed as a professional triathlete during law school. He currently resides in Southern California with his wife and a garage full of bicycles.

For more information, read this September 19, 2006, USA Today profile.

Katy Freeman

Before earning her law degree, Katy spent many years competing at the highest levels of intercollegiate and Olympic swimming. Her experiences as a member of USA Swimming’s National Team and first-hand knowledge of the issues elite athletes face served as her introduction to the realm of sports law and, ultimately, led her to attend law school.

Katy first joined the Law Offices of Howard L. Jacobs as an intern during the summer of 2014, and was thrilled re-join as an Associate in May 2019.

While in law school, Katy also had the opportunity to intern for the Athlete Ombudsman for the United States Olympic Committee, where she assisted with research and writing in relation to athlete disputes. After graduating from law school, Katy spent two years working in family law as an Associate with the Gill Law Group, P.C. During her time there, she specialized in work on high conflict divorce and child custody matters.

Katy is a California girl through and through, having grown up in Northern California. She is a graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara (B.A., 2009) and the University of Southern California Gould School of Law (J.D., 2016), where she graduated with a Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution. Despite strong Trojan ties, Katy remains a true, blue-and-gold bleeding Gaucho at heart. She is admitted to practice law in California.

Katy and her husband currently reside in the Los Angeles area with their dog Libby. Katy spends her free time reading, cooking and watching the Dodgers.

Leah M. Bernhard

Leah is thrilled to join the Law Offices of Howard L. Jacob’s as a mid-level associate. Leah grew up as a competitive athlete; she was a high school swimmer, Division 1 collegiate rower, and amateur triathlete. Her athletic background helps her to understand the complex and stressful situations that athletes frequently face.

Prior to joining the Law Offices of Howard L. Jacobs, Leah worked in civil litigation representing both plaintiffs and defendants, as well as amateur sports law organizations. She prides herself in keeping in close communication with her clients at all stages of the process and knows how to be a fierce advocate while working to obtain favorable outcomes.

Leah graduated from Marquette Law School, cum laude. During law school, she interned at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee during the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games, where she assisted with the anti-ambush campaign and with Section 9 and 10 claims. She was a member of the Marquette Sports Law Review and received a certificate in sports law from the National Sports Law Institute. She has authored and co-authored several briefs for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and the Wisconsin Supreme Court and practiced in both federal and state courts. She has been selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2019-2022.

Leah is admitted to the bar in Wisconsin where she resides with her husband and son. She enjoys cheering for Wisconsin sports teams including the Bucks, Brewers, and Packers. She stays active with swimming and hiking, and enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time outdoors with her family.