- OVERVIEW
- INSIGHTS
- NEWS & EVENTS
INDUSTRIES
PRACTICES
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Education
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Georgetown University Law Center,
J.D., 1981
Member, Georgetown University Athletic Advisory Co
National Institute of Continuing Education
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Yale University,
B.A., 1978
Yale Varsity Football Letterman
Founder and Coordinator, Black Athletes at Yale
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Admissions
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Missouri
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Affiliations
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Sports Lawyers Association
Past president
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St. Louis Sports Commission
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American Bar Association, Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries
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The 2007 Final Four Bid: St. Louis Organizing Committee
Co-chair
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The 2005 Final Four: St. Louis Organizing Committee
Treasurer
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Association of Attorney-Mediators
Member
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Recognitions
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Listed in "The Best Lawyers in America®" (by BL Rankings), 2015-2024
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Named to "The Missouri Lawyers Weekly" POWER List for Sports & Entertainment Law, 2023
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Employment
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Thompson Coburn LLP
Partner, 2011-Present
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St. Louis Rams Partnership
General Counsel, Executive Vice President/Administration, 1995-2011
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Philadelphia Eagles
Assistant to President and General Counsel, 1991-1995
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Guifoil, Petzall, & Shoemake
Partner, 1981-1991
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Community
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The Productive Living Board for St. Louis County Citizens with Developmental Disabilities
Vice Chair, 2021-Present
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Governor's Council on Disabilities
Appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon in 2010
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University of Missouri-St. Louis
Chancellor's Council, 2005-2021
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Giant Steps
Chairman of the Board of Directors, 1999-Present
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Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis
Treasurer
Board of Directors, Past Chairman
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St. Louis Regional Business Council
Board of Directors, 2007-2009
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United Way of Greater St. Louis
Board of Directors, 2003-2009
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Webster University School of Business
Board of Advisors, 2001-2012
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St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association
Board of Directors, 2000-2009
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As chairman of the Firm's Sports Law Group, Bob represents teams, prospective buyers of sports teams, companies interested in sports marketing and civic and government entities facing team relocation or facility issues.
He also assists players, coaches and executives with contract negotiations and separation agreements, and serves as an NFL-approved hearing officer for violations of the league's drug and conduct policies.
Bob has cultivated more than 30 years of experience in both the St. Louis business community and the national sports arena through his past executive and legal work for the Philadelphia Eagles and the St. Louis Football Cardinals.
He spent 16 years with the Rams, serving as the team's executive vice president and general counsel. During his 30-year career in professional football, Bob was one of the highest-ranking African-American club executives in the National Football League. He led the Rams' operations and business departments during two Super Bowl appearances, managed the team's $200 million budget and served as lead negotiator in the renaming of the Rams' stadium to the Edward Jones Dome.
Bob has taught sports law as an adjunct professor at both Washington University School of Law and Saint Louis University School of Law. He also wrote a weekly magazine column, "Business Philosophy," and has authored several other articles on sports law topics.
Podcasts
Episode 25: Author and Professor Jeremi Duru and Diversity in Sports
Episode 24: Sports Journalist Jim Thomas and the 2023 NFL Season
Episode 23: Sports Journalist Jim Thomas, Part 2
Episode 22: Sports Journalist Jim Thomas, Part 1
Episode 21: Mori Taheripour on negotiating sports contracts
Episode 20: Debbie Spander and Marc Isenberg on NIL Deals
Episode 19: David Cornwell on LIV Golf
Episode 18: CEO of LEAD1 Association Tom McMillen
Episode 17: Part 2: Incoming Missouri Valley Conference Commissioner Jeff Jackson
Episode 16: Part 1: Missouri Valley Conference Commissioner Doug Elgin
Episode 15: Sean Frazier, Athletic Director at Northern Illinois University
Episode 14: Sports agent Leigh Steinberg
Episode 13: Kurt Hunzeker on the XFL BattleHawks
Episode 12: Charles Harris and Herman Frazier on collegiate sports during COVID times
Episode 11: Patrick Rishe of Washington University in St. Louis
Episode 10: Game on: An introduction to eSports
Episode 5: Athlete activism and community engagement
Episode 9: Fan safety with Phil Melcher of the St. Louis Cardinals
Episode 8: Eric Stisser reflects on the St. Louis Blues’ championship season
Episode 7: The state of sports betting
Episode 6: Addressing sports crises and diversity with David Cornwell
Episode 4: Nona Lee and Vicky Neumeyer
Episode 3: Kenneth Shropshire of the Global Sport Institute
Episode 2: Mike Tannenbaum of the Miami Dolphins
Episode 1: Josh Whitman of the University of Illinois
Thompson Coburn Publications
The Clock is Ticking: Iowa Jumps into NIL Race with Proposed NIL Bill, effective July 1, 2021
The NCAA Implements a Four Corners Offense As it Postpones NIL Rule Changes
A look at recent student athlete name, image and likeness legislation
Regulatory Hurdles for Sports Betting in Illinois During COVID-19
As sports teams consider reopening venues, what is their liability due to COVID-19?
COVID-19: Checking in on its impact on the sports world
A student athlete’s fight against the system
What the League giveth: St. Louis’ key role in the history of NFL relocation
What I’ve learned about life, law and sports
Drones and sports: A brief overview
Neutral arbitrators in sports: What makes it fair?
But it’s our locker room: What is acceptable behavior in the sports workplace?
Blogs
Trouble afoot: Duke’s ‘Shoe-gate’ highlights current controversies in college basketball
Six years after Penn State, has college athletics really reformed its crisis response?
Drones on campus: What higher ed needs to know
How can a university manage an all-powerful college coach?
TCLEs
A University’s Guide to Avoid Being a Sports Center Breaking News Headline
Publications
"How Can a University Manage an All-Powerful College Coach?";
Legal Issues in College Athletics, March 2015
"It Happened In Happy Valley";
Sports Litigation Alert, August 10, 2012
"The Gladiators Must Perform";
Sports Litigation Alert, June 1, 2012
"The Book of Basketball: It's All About Winning";
Sports Litigation Alert, July 29, 2011
"Mediation in Professional Sports Disputes";
Sports Litigation Alert, June 17, 2011
Presentations
"Labor Relations in Professional Sports: Does Federal Law Level the Playing Field?"
2012 8th Circuit Judicial Conference August 9, 2012
"Ethics for Sports Lawyers, The Lawyer’s Dilemma: Ethics vs. Reality,"
2012 Sports Lawyers Association Annual Conference May 12, 2012
"Tips from the Pros; Winning Contract Negotiations and Representing Challenging Clients";
Missouri Bar CLE/Washington University School of Law, February 17, 2011
News
Bob Wallace Featured for Role as NFL Trailblazer
Thompson Coburn Attorneys Named to Missouri Top 100 Power List
Bob Wallace talks sports on Scoops with Danny Mac podcast
Bob Wallace launches sports podcast After the Buzzer
Bob Wallace weighs the neutrality of pro sports arbitrators for Law360
Thompson Coburn leads deal that brought One Direction to Edward Jones Dome
Bob Wallace article: What’s acceptable behavior in the sports workplace?
Ouster of Rutgers coach, athletic director highlights risks for universities
Street Law program introduces 90 St. Louis students to careers in the law
Bob Wallace article: Fiscal-cliff-style negotiations fall flat in the sports world, too
Bob Wallace decides NFL suspension appeal for Seattle Seahawks player
Bob Wallace, Jan Paul Miller publish article on compliance lessons from the Penn State fiasco
Bob Wallace, Mike Minton publish article on NFL concussion litigation