Shirin Malkani
- Firmwide Co-Chair, Sports Industry Group
- New York
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Shirin advises media businesses and visionary sports industry leaders, providing counsel on complex deals and the evolution of premium content rights.
Shirin Malkani, co-chair of the firm’s Sports industry group and Women in Media & Entertainment initiative, has worked with premium content businesses across emerging technologies and platforms for more than 25 years, with an intensive focus on live sports rights. Shirin has served the sports industry in both legal and business roles and offers a valuable mix of practical guidance and market insight to companies ranging from high-growth startups to established media players.
Since joining Perkins Coie, Shirin has represented YouTube in its acquisition of exclusive rights to NFL Sunday Ticket and advised such sports startups as the National Pickleball League and E1 Boat Racing League teams on formation and commercial rights. She has represented both rights holders and distribution platforms in streaming, over-the-air, and hybrid deals for premium content.
Having spent seven years at the National Basketball Association, during which consumer viewing habits changed and distribution paradigms shifted, Shirin structured and negotiated complex commercial transactions spanning digital subscription and ad-supported streaming services, linear television, mobile-only products, and virtual reality and augmented reality offerings.
Shirin is frequently interviewed by and quoted in various publications, such as The Hollywood Reporter, CNBC, The New York Times, Bloomberg Law, The Wall Street Journal, Axios, The Athletic, Business Insider, and TheWrap on matters related to sports media rights, monetization, production, and artificial intelligence.
Shirin began her career in the late 1990s as a technology transactions lawyer, exploring early dot-com business models and seeking to adapt existing intellectual property and contractual constructs to new digital media platforms. She has deep experience representing top media industry brands, direct-to-consumer products, and technology platforms. Shirin leveraged that broad-based commercial experience to serve as general counsel three times in diverse industries, including free-to-play games, tech magazine publishing, and data-driven marketing services. In addition to her legal practice, Shirin has spent considerable time in entrepreneurial circles as an investor, a co-founder of a website for luxury children’s clothing consignment, and an advisor to startups on product development, go-to-market strategies, and licensing.
Shirin is a member of the Legal Advisory Council of Sanctuary for Families, a nonprofit serving survivors of gender-based violence, and a volunteer with the Schools Consent Project, a nonprofit training lawyers to teach young people about consent.
Education & Credentials
Education
- New York University School of Law, J.D., Editor, Annual Survey of American Law
- Georgetown University, B.S., Foreign Service
Bar and Court Admissions
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New York
Related Employment
- Buzzer Media Inc., New York, NY, Chief Commercial Officer, 2021-2022
- Known, New York, NY, Partner, General Counsel & Head of Strategic Partnerships, 2018-2020
- Tilting Point, New York, NY, General Counsel, 2018
- National Basketball Association, New York, NY, Senior Vice President, Global Media Distribution, 2008-2015
- Ziff Davis, Inc., New York, NY, General Counsel, 2006-2008
- Morrison & Foerster LLP, New York, NY, Associate, 1998-2004
Impact
Professional Leadership
- Legal Advisory Council of Sanctuary for Families, Member
- American Bar Association's Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries, Advisory Committee Member
