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Adams and Reese Counsel Philip Sherman is featured by Law360 in the article, “Adams and Reese Attorney Talks Bringing Super Bowl to NOLA.” Sherman serves as an attorney for the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee and as board chair of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation (GNOSF). Through both roles, Sherman was instrumental in securing New Orleans as the host city for Super Bowl LIX, which took place Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025.
“I represent the host committee and have since it first made the bid in 2018,” said Sherman to Law360. “The committee is the contracting entity with the NFL to bring the Super Bowl to New Orleans, responsible for coordinating the city, hotel rooms, airports, the stadium and anything else that's needed by the NFL to put on the event. We're the go-between for the NFL and city entities.”
In 2018, Sherman negotiated with the NFL to win New Orleans the bid as the Super Bowl host site. GNOSF has been involved since the 1990’s in working to bring the Super Bowl to New Orleans. This is the 11th time that New Orleans has hosted the Super Bowl with previous years coming in 1970, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1997, 2002, 2013, and now 2025.
As legal counsel for the Super Bowl Host Committee, Sherman reviews and finalizes key sponsorship agreements, venue contracts, and service arrangements. As board chair of the GNOSF, Sherman has worked to bring several notable sporting events to the Greater New Orleans area, representing local host committees in their negotiations to bring the 2017 NBA All-Star Game, 2022 NCAA Men’s Final Four, and 2025 Super Bowl.
For Super Bowl LIX, Sherman collaborates with Jay Cicero, CEO of GNOSF and President of the Super Bowl Host Committee. Their communication ensures alignment between the NFL, the City of New Orleans, the Saints, and GNOSF staff, addressing challenges and fulfilling commitments outlined in the original bid.
At Adams and Reese, Sherman represents clients in real estate law, including lenders and developers in a variety of transformative projects and details including the acquisition, land-use planning, financing and investment, zoning, permitting, and development. He also assists corporate clients with broad general business counsel and securities law experience.