Brooklyn Sports Invited Firm Banned by MSG
A law firm involved in litigation against MSG Entertainment received an invitation to the rival Barclays Center.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Basketball
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Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment recently invited attorneys representing a plaintiff against MSG Entertainment to tour the Barclays Center. This move follows MSG Entertainment decision to ban the firm from its own venues due to pending litigation.
Why it matters
The invitation highlights a growing divide between New York sports venue operators regarding policies toward legal opponents. MSG Entertainment maintains a strict policy of barring attorneys who have active lawsuits against the company to prevent potential conflict.
MSG Entertainment has barred 1,000 lawyers across 90 firms since 2022. This policy excludes attorneys involved in sexual-harassment and employment-discrimination cases.
The players
MSG Entertainment
This company operates several prominent New York venues including Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and the Beacon Theatre.
Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment
This entity manages the Barclays Center and represents the business interests associated with the Brooklyn Nets.
Mark David Shirian
He is an attorney representing a plaintiff in a pending lawsuit filed against MSG Entertainment in the New York Supreme Court.
Shawn Daniel Shirian
He is an attorney at the same firm as Mark David Shirian and is also subject to the venue ban imposed by MSG Entertainment.
The details
MSG Entertainment notified Mark David Shirian and Shawn Daniel Shirian on September 28, 2026, that they were banned from Madison Square Garden and other affiliated venues following their August 14, 2026, lawsuit filing. Conversely, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment invited the attorneys to attend the Nets vs. 76ers game on October 8, 2026, to explore potential business opportunities.
Timeline
MSG began its policy of banning litigating attorneys in 2022.
The Shirian firm filed a lawsuit against MSG on August 14, 2026.
MSG formally banned the Shirian firm from its venues on September 28, 2026.
The Nets vs. 76ers game occurred on October 8, 2026.
Season Trajectory
The invitation to Barclays Center signals a potential shift in how rival arenas engage with the legal adversaries of their competitors. This move complicates the competitive balance as firms blacklisted from the Garden find alternative avenues for professional networking.
The ban results in the immediate voiding of any tickets previously purchased by the attorneys for events at Madison Square Garden or Radio City Music Hall. Affected legal professionals are now effectively restricted from attending professional events at MSG-owned venues for the duration of their litigation.
The takeaway
Venue operators are increasingly using access policies as a tactical tool in corporate litigation disputes. Legal professionals involved in active suits against major entertainment companies should anticipate potential restrictions on their ability to attend events at those company venues.
Further reading
For more on the venue dynamics in the region, see Basketball.
Source note: This article includes information reported by EssentiallySports.
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