Ron Del Duca

Even major agencies miss what’s in the contract. This one cost six figures. The contract said: “This player only gets paid if she commences participation in the actual match.” ⸻ She started warm-ups… then “pulled” her leg. Said she couldn’t participate. ⸻ She came to my office with her agent to collect her low six-figure appearance fee. I pointed to one sentence in the contract. ⸻ Her representative got angry. Then upper management got involved. Even angrier. Didn’t matter. ⸻ They signed it. She never started the match. She got $0. ⸻ Saw her at dinner later. She saw me… and left. I considered sending dessert. Seemed like a fair use of the money she didn’t earn.

If you’re mailing anything close to a tax deadline, don’t risk it—go to the counter and get it hand-stamped.

You can mail your tax return on time—and still be treated as late. Starting in 2026, USPS postmarks may reflect when mail is processed, not when it’s sent. If you’re close to a deadline: Get a hand-stamped postmark. Proof matters. #TaxLaw #IRS #USPS #LegalTips #TaxSeason

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You can lose a deal before the appetizer shows up. Most people don’t realize it’s happening. No one says anything. But everyone notices.

This actually happened. Romania. 1989. Days after the revolution. I decided to go for a run. Worst decision I made that week.

The 🐐

After 40 years of practicing law, I start evaluating you before you ever speak. And a lot of that comes down to how you show up. This isn’t just law. It’s business. Dress like a professional. Not like a clown.

This actually happened. I represented a client in a buyout. The other side had counsel. Negotiation stalled. So we changed the room: • Cigarette smoke • Direct sunlight They said nothing. 10 minutes later—deal done. Leverage isn’t always what you say. Sometimes it’s what the other side chooses to endure.

Most people focus on the contract. The real leverage is understanding what the other side can’t afford to lose.

I ASKED FOR 50% MORE… ON A SIGNED DEAL. Room full of lawyers. I was there 6 minutes. Total. Then I left. They paid. Contracts matter. Leverage matters more.

Think your Letter of Intent isn’t binding? That assumption can cost you. Some LOIs are “non-binding”… until the language creates obligations. Watch confidentiality. Watch exclusivity.

instagram.com/reel/DWZmKlYgI… Most people miss this: Your liability cap can disappear… without changing the number. Watch the carve-outs. Structure is leverage. Language is protection.

Most people get this wrong: Contracts aren’t about the deal. They’re about risk. 3 clauses that matter: • Liability caps (watch carve-outs) • Indemnity (mutual, not one-sided) • Damages (define + limit) If indemnity isn’t capped → your limit is useless. #contractlaw #businesslaw #riskmanagement #legalstrategy #contracts

Agent Story of the Day #4 Apparently, I was on another planet… during an NHL practice. (with my back to the ice) Started hearing pucks hitting around me. Ignored it. Then one flew past my ear. Turns out they had been flipping pucks at me the entire time. Missed about 10. Situational awareness matters.

Helsinki → Lapland. No plan. No warning. Adapt — or crash.

Most people think a living trust is finished when the documents are signed. It’s not. A living trust and a pour-over will do different jobs. If the trust is never funded, it may not work as intended. Signing is step one. Funding is what makes the plan work.

Part of my Agent Story of the Day series.

I went to Helsinki for a sponsorship meeting tied to professional tennis. So far, very normal. Then I got sent another 1.5 hours north to Lapland. I assumed someone would pick us up in a car. Possibly on an actual road. Instead, there were snowmobiles waiting near the plane. I had never driven one before. Apparently that was not viewed as disqualifying. A few minutes later, I was buried in a snowbank in Finnish Lapland, wondering whether this counted as cross-border business development or just poor decision-making in a tie. I did eventually make it to the destination. But by then the key takeaway was clear: some negotiations happen in conference rooms, and some begin with you being launched into Arctic humility. #SportsBusiness #SportsLaw #AgentLife #InternationalBusiness

This actually happened. Moscow, Russia — around 2000. Meeting with tax officials on U.S. income for Russian-born NHL players… and there were chickens walking through the government building. Different systems. Same job: protect the client. #SportsLaw #TaxLaw #NFLPA #AgentLife