Abstract

This article sails into the largely unchartered waters of reverse-morals clauses because, to our knowledge, there are no law review or law journal articles that substantially address this still nascent area of law.25 Similarly, our research has not revealed any state or federal cases involving reverse-morals clauses.26 Nor has an actual talent contract containing such a clause been publicly revealed, either in terms of language or the identification of the parties to such a clause,27 although reportedly "an increasingly larger number" of talent are now asking for reverse-morals clauses in the wake of the Enron fallout and other high-profile corporate wrongdoings that have left talent "in some cases receiving as much negative press as the companies themselves."28 These issues merit our attention because the morals clause and the "cutting-edge" reverse-morals clause are fast becoming "the most heavily negotiated aspect of any sports or entertainment contract."29 Although, paradoxically, there is little information on reverse-morals clauses themselves, "there is no single subject (i.e., the morals clause and reverse-morals clause) of greater import for the sports lawyer or agent in today's brightly lit sports environment."30 This article closes that gap in the legal literature.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2010

Publisher Statement

Copyright © 2010 Cardozo Arts & Ent. This article first appeared in Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal 28:1 (2010), 65-113.

Please note that downloads of the article are for private/personal use only.

COinS