Attorney Bio

Ira Rainess

Of Counsel

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Ira Rainess leads Silverman Thompson's Sports & Entertainment Practice, advising clients on professional and collegiate sports, athlete representation, NIL and athlete compensation, gaming and sports betting, licensing, sponsorships and endorsements, and sports-related business transactions. His practice also includes joint ventures, financing, mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate transactions.

For more than three decades, Rainess has worked at the intersection of sports, law, business, and gaming. He has represented and advised some of the world's most accomplished athletes across multiple professional sports, including multiple Hall of Fame athletes. Among his clients and business relationships have been Cal Ripken Jr., Ray Lewis, and Paul Rabil. A former certified MLBPA and NFLPA agent, Rainess has negotiated and advised on more than $500 million in professional sports contracts and related commercial transactions, including sponsorship, endorsement, licensing, branding, media, and sports marketing agreements with major national and global companies.

Rainess's career has extended beyond athlete representation into the broader business of sports and entertainment. He served as President of Alliance MMA, Inc., a NASDAQ-listed sports and entertainment company, and his experience includes investment banking, capital formation, acquisitions, financing, corporate transactions, and business development.

In 2026, Baltimore Magazine recognized Rainess as a Top Lawyer in Sports Law, where he was the sole attorney selected in the category.

Teaching Experience

• Adjunct Professor, Sports and Entertainment Law, University of Baltimore School of Law, 2004-2012
• Adjunct Professor, How to Represent the Professional Athlete, University of Baltimore School of Law, 2004-2012

Government Service

• Assistant Public Defender, Baltimore City, Felony Narcotics Division, 1991

Professional History and Notable Representation

• Rainess has represented and advised some of the world's most accomplished athletes across multiple professional sports, including multiple Hall of Fame athletes. His work has encompassed playing contracts, sponsorships, endorsements, licensing, intellectual property, branding, media, and business ventures, as well as commercial transactions with dozens of major national and global companies on behalf of athletes and sports properties.
• Rainess served as President and General Counsel of the Tufton Group, where he managed the business, marketing, and legal affairs of Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. He later served as President of Ripken Baseball and Aberdeen Professional Baseball, where his responsibilities included the development and financing of the Ripken Baseball Complex, the acquisition and relocation of a minor league baseball franchise, and the creation of the Cal Ripken World Series.
• Rainess also represented and advised Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis on legal, business, marketing, branding, and entrepreneurial matters. Rainess and Lewis co-founded Team 52 Development, which was part of the development group selected through a competitive Baltimore Development Corporation RFP for the Gateway South project in downtown Baltimore. The group subsequently reached an agreement for the City to reacquire the property, which ultimately became part of the site developed for Horseshoe Casino Baltimore.
• Rainess later served as President of Alliance MMA, Inc., a NASDAQ-listed sports and entertainment company, with responsibilities encompassing corporate strategy, acquisitions, financing, operations, investor relations, governance, and business development. His business experience also includes investment banking, capital formation, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and corporate transactions.
• Rainess serves as an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association, handling sports and complex commercial disputes. He has served as a sole arbitrator, member of three-arbitrator panels, and panel chair.
• Rainess is also a frequent guest speaker and panelist on sports law and the business of sports. Recent appearances include twice serving as a panelist for the IVY Family Office Network (IVYFON) on Investing in Sports Venture and Private Equity, as well as participating in an American Arbitration Association program addressing NIL and sports participation.

Memberships

• American Arbitration Association

Honors, Awards & Appointments

• Top Lawyer - Sports Law, Baltimore Magazine, 2026
• Board Member, Sports Law Institute, University of Baltimore School of Law
• 40 Under 40, Baltimore Business Journal
• Recipient, Mayor's Citation, Baltimore Bicentennial Celebration