Sam Hill is a lawyer and business consultant with an expertise in Sports Business and Law.
Sam began his professional career in 1990 with the New York firm Battle Fowler.In 1992 Sam joined the New York office of Proskauer Rose, considered one of the pre-eminent sports law firms in the world, in the firm’s Sports and Commercial Litigation Practices. At Proskauer, Sam advised the NHL, NBA, Major League Soccer and the United States Soccer Federation, among other sports clients.
Sam moved to Toronto in 1998 and joined top Canadian firm Blake, Cassels & Graydon, where he continued to build his practice.During that period Sam oversaw the purchase by U.S.-based 24/7 Media Inc. of Clickthrough Interactive, was primary outside counsel to the Toronto Blue Jays prior to the club’s purchase by Rogers Communications, and advised the NHL, Toronto Argonauts Football Club and the Canadian Olympic Committee, among other clients.
In 2000, Sam was hired by a private sports holding company as Executive V.P. of Legal and Business Affairs, where his duties included advising the CEO with respect to legal and business issues relating to company’s ownership and operation of two indoor professional soccer clubs, an air charter service (operating four luxury 727s) and several sports facilities (indoor and outdoor facilities for hockey, soccer, golf and tennis).
From 2004 to 2006, while running his own law practice, Sam was the founder and publisher of THE DISH, a popular and widely distributed youth sports and entertainment newspaper.
In addition to providing legal advice to clients in connection with their business, employment and sports and entertainment issues, Sam is a consultant to various businesses, including digital and film production companies, and sits on the board of several community-based not-for-profit sports organizations.
Sam has written for the Indiana University Journal of International Relations, the New York Law Journal, Lawyers’ Weekly and the Sports Business Journal. He is a frequent commentator on television and in print, has been a panelist at numerous conferences and a guest lecturer at post-secondary institutions, and taught sports marketing in the George Brown College Sports Marketing program.Sam also was an Official Observer at the International Olympic Committee 1999 World Conference on Doping in Sport. Sam currently writes a weekly sports column, Hill on Sports, for Toronto daily newspaper t.o.night. Sam is admitted to practice in Ontario and New York and before the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. He earned his undergraduate degree in Physical Health and Education from the University of Toronto, where he received the B'Nai B'rith Hillel Award for academic and athletic achievement, and hislaw degree magna cum laude from Vermont Law School.
Sam lives in Toronto with his wife and four children.