Jeff established JFA following ten successful years as Counsel and then Assistant General Counsel of the Major League Baseball Players Association. While at the MLBPA, Jeff managed grievances on behalf of players, helped counsel players and agents in matters of salary arbitration, contract negotiations and other issues arising under the collective bargaining agreement and individual player contracts.
Since 2014, Jeff has served as a Labor Relations Consultant to the MLBPA. In this role, he actively participated in the successful 2016 collective bargaining negotiations between the MLBPA and Major League Baseball, and is currently involved in several high-level Association matters. In addition, Jeff currently serves as a Board Member for the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, a joint initiative that seeks to improve the availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the U.S. and Canada, particularly in underserved communities.
Prior to his work in sports, Jeff was a Field Attorney for the National Labor Relations Board in New York City. He also served as an Associate General Counsel to the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) from 1997 through 2000.
Jeff is a frequent speaker at professional and academic events across the country. He also is the creator and producer of SPORTS360, a podcast that focuses on the people and issues in and around the world of sports.
Jeff earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Administration from St. John’s University in 1992 and his Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University School of Law in 1996. From 2002-2014, he served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at St. John’s, teaching a course in Sports Law. He also served as the Deputy Director of St. John’s LL.M. program in International and Comparative Sports Law for American and Foreign Attorneys from 2012-2014.
Jeff was born in Brooklyn, New York and currently resides in New Jersey with his wife, Evelyn.
Nick is a 2017 graduate of St. John’s University School of Law. While at St. John’s, Nick participated in the 2017 Tulane National Baseball Salary Arbitration Competition, where he and his teammates earned the crown of National Champions. Among several law school honors, Nick received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Salary Negotiation & Arbitration in Sports. He also authored scholarly papers for St. John’s ABI Bankruptcy Case Blog, and the Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. More recently, in 2019-20, Nick served as outside counsel to JFA in the area of salary arbitration, assisting in a number of cases, including the successful arbitration presentation for Pedro Baez. In addition to his Juris Doctorate, in 2014 Nick earned a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, in Business Management from Manhattan College, School of Business.
Nick is a Saratoga, New York Native and currently lives in Harlem, New York.
Jordan Dunbar joined JFA in December of 2019. Jordan is a recent grad of American University, where in May 2019, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Justice and Law with a minor in Chinese language. During her third year at American, Jordan studied abroad in Chengdu, China where she interned at Beijing Deheng Law Offices. Her responsibilities included legal research and writing, translating key documents from Mandarin to English, reviewing and editing correspondence and providing general legal and office support. Throughout her educational career Jordan also worked for various community service organizations serving as counselor, teacher, mentor and tutor to local youth in New Jersey, Washington D.C. and Cape Town, South Africa.
A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Jordan currently resides in southern New Jersey. She plans to attend law school in the fall of 2020.
With 10 years of experience in client services, brand management, event production and business operations, working with a range of diverse clients, Lori understands the importance achieving client goals with integrity and believes in putting forth the work needed to "Make it happen".
Current and past clients include: the Houston Texans, Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal, American Express, Smirnoff, TheAFParty, George Foreman, Santonio Holmes’ III and Long Foundation, Mothers Making a Difference Inc. (Houston NBA Moms org.), Project Hygiene Inc. just to list a few.
Lori received her Master’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Sports Management at Houston Baptist University and is also a graduate of The University of Oklahoma (and proud SOONER!), earning a dual BBA in Management and Marketing with Advertising.