Kroger, Gardis & Regas LLP

Overview

KGR is an Indianapolis, Indiana law firm with deep U.S. and international experience handling sports litigation, arbitrations, investigations, and crisis management for athletes, sports executives, and national and international sports organizations, particularly in cases involving sports governance, sports integrity, anti-doping rules, or athlete eligibility standards.

Select Experience

KGR’s sports law practice group is chaired by Bill Bock a litigator with more than 20 years’ experience in major sports cases involving complex scientific issues. Bill was General Counsel of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) from 2007-2020 and involved in USADA’s most significant cases and investigations during 2001-2021. In 2003 Bill led USADA’s case against double world champion sprinter Kelli White whose cooperation with USADA led to the unwinding of the BALCO doping conspiracy and the suspension of Marion Jones and more than 30 other U.S. athletes. Bill was the lead lawyer in USADA’s 2012 case which stripped Lance Armstrong of his 7 Tour de France titles and ultimately led to multiple international investigations in cycling. Beginning in 2018 Bill led USADA’s successful prosecution against Alberto Salazar and the Nike Oregon Project. Bill has served in multiple capacities in international sport including as an arbitrator and Anti-Doping Advisory Body member for the international aquatics sports federation. He regularly advises clients on sports governance, arbitration, and sports integrity issues, including anti-doping matters in sport and is regularly consulted on athlete eligibility rules. Bill provided expert testimony to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) which recently changed its rules to restrict males from competing in the female category in college sports governed by the NAIA. Bill is the lead lawyer for the Plaintiffs in three federal court lawsuits, Gaines v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, Slusser v. Mountain West Conference and Estabrook v. The Ivy League in which student-athletes have sued universities and college sport conferences and rulemaking bodies such as the NCAA over rules which violate Title IX and Equal Protection standards and fail to sufficiently protect the rights of women. Bill defended the Disc Golf Pro Tour against challenges by a transgender-identifying male athlete in courts in California and Minnesota and has served as an expert witness on sports matters for the PGA Tour and the State of Indiana. Bill and the KGR team have served as legal counsel to sports leagues, anti-doping agencies, international sport federations, national governing bodies, sport executives, anti-doping laboratories, sports apparel brands and governing boards, athletes, and coaches. Bill regularly practices in state and federal courts throughout the United States and in international arbitrations before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. He has been named a Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers’ Magazine.