Haynes Boone advised Apollo Sports Capital on its $225 million investment in the newly created parent company of Major League Pickleball and the Professional Pickleball Association Tour.
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports globally, and the transaction supports the creation of a fully integrated pickleball ecosystem, including professional leagues, technology, retail and infrastructure platforms.
The Haynes Boone deal team was led by Financial Transactions Partner Brad Lavender and Mergers and Acquisitions Partners Cameron Scales, John McGowan and Lauren White.
“This transaction highlights the continued momentum we are seeing in the convergence of sports and private capital,” Lavender said. “We are proud to support Apollo Sports Capital on a deal that reflects both the rapid growth of pickleball and the increasing institutional interest in sports platforms.”
The Haynes Boone deal team also included:
- M&A Associates Rachael Briner, Ryan Middleton and Ryan Ward
- Real Estate Counsel Andrew Silberstein and Associate Maddie Ballard
- Employee Benefits Partner Scott Thompson and Attorney Courtney Benedict
- Tax Partners Danielle Marr and Sam Lichtman
- Labor and Employment Partner Raquel Alvarenga and Associate Kensey Kirby
- Intellectual Property Partner Gavin George and Associate Mallika Dargan
- Environmental Partner Mary Mendoza and Associate Victor K. Salazar
Haynes Boone’s M&A Practice Group has comprehensive experience handling middle-market deals, having helped clients close more than 500 transactions in the last five years, with an aggregate value exceeding $50 billion. The firm’s Finance Practice Group advises lenders and borrowers on a broad range of sophisticated financing transactions, including asset-based lending, senior bank debt, subscription financings, project finance, energy finance, prime brokerage, public finance and restructuring, workouts and recapitalizations. The group’s lawyers are recognized for their successful work for more than 200 commercial lending institutions and other capital providers, as well as for U.S. and foreign companies and their sponsors.
