In January, the New York County Lawyers' Association (NYCLA) presented a free public forum, "MMAdness - Issues Surrounding the Legalization of Mixed Martial Arts in New York at the NYCLA Home of Law. Panelists discussed the legal and regulatory issues relating to the legalization of mixed martial arts (MMA) in New York, as well as its potential economic impact if it were legalized.
The panelists were Joseph M. DeGuardia, esq., owner of Star Boxing, a boxing promotional company and president of the Boxing Promoters Association; Michael J. DiMaggio, Collins, McDonald & Gann, P.C.; Kurt Emhoff, attorney, Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman and licensed boxing manager; Paul Haberman, esq., licensed boxing manager and chair, Entertainment, Media, Intellectual Property and Sports Law Committee's (EMIPS) Sports Law Subcommittee; and Nicholas Lembo, counsel, New Jersey State Athletic Control Board.