The transaction:

International law firm McDermott Will & Schulte represented Theresia Gouw, co-founder and managing partner of venture capital firm Acrew Capital, in her acquisition of an expansion franchise in the new professional volleyball league, Major League Volleyball (MLV).

Why it matters:

MLV is entering a bold new era following its merger with the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) in August 2025. As part of this expansion and rebranding, Ms. Gouw will be the lead owner and board governor of the Northern California franchise, set to debut in the 2027 season. The team’s territory spans San Jose, San Francisco, and Sacramento, and will embody a female-led, female-first ethos.

“This is more than an investment – it’s a commitment to elevating women in sports and creating a team that reflects the energy and innovation of Northern California,” said Ms. Gouw. “Our goal is to build a franchise that inspires athletes and fans alike, and I’m honored to lead a group that shares this passion.”

The McDermott cross-practice team was led by Julie Kwon and Tom Conaghan and included Greg Berson, Tommy McGee, Dan Hatten, Andrew Granek, and Hudson Todd.

Julie Kwon is the relationship partner for Theresia Gouw, and McDermott has represented Ms. Gouw in multiple matters, including her investment in the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.

Read MLV’s press release.

About McDermott’s Family Office Capital & Investment Strategies (FOCIS) Group
FOCIS is a multi-practice team that draws on the experience of our Private Client, Tax, and Transactional lawyers to provide creative and holistic solutions across all levels of a family wealth structure with respect to direct investing across all industries, including sports and entertainment. We take a comprehensive and multi-level approach to achieve enhanced economic returns through optimal planning for families, returns that might otherwise be lost when working with external advisors with a narrower lens.

About McDermott’s Sports Law Group
For more than 30 years, McDermott has represented owners, investors, players, teams, and sports venues around the world in various leagues – including the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), National Football League (NFL), and PGA TOUR – handling their most critical transactional and non-transactional matters. With legal experience ranging from individual investments in teams and the purchase and sale of franchises, to solving critical tax, real estate, intellectual property, and labor law problems, our sports lawyers leverage top-tier M&A, tax, and estate to provide a problem-solving and client-focused approach to complicated sports law matters in the rapidly evolving sports world.

Leading organizations turn to global law firm McDermott Will & Schulte for a better way to address legal challenges, connect with those at the forefront, and drive stronger outcomes. Working across more than 20 offices globally, our 1,750+ lawyers act on data-driven insights, deep relationships, and unmatched industry experience to deliver on our commitment of Always Better.

International law firm McDermott Will & Schulte represented Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), one of the nation’s leading integrated sports, media, and entertainment companies, in connection with minority investments by Arctos Partners (Arctos), the only private investment firm approved to own equity in teams across all five major North American professional leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS) and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).

MSE owns and operates the Washington Capitals (NHL), Washington Wizards (NBA), Washington Mystics (WNBA), Capital City Go-Go (NBA G League), and Wizards Gaming (NBA 2K League), along with local media platform, Monumental Sports Network (MNMT). MSE also operates Capital One Arena in Washington, DC and is leading an $800 million+ transformation of the arena and the adjacent downtown sports and entertainment district as part of a public-private partnership with the city.

In addition to Arctos joining MSE’s ownership group, QIA, who initially invested in MSE in 2023 in a McDermott-advised deal, increased its equity stake, consistent with the sovereign wealth fund’s focus on long-term, high-value investments.

The McDermott team was led by Tom Conaghan with invaluable assistance from Greg Berson and Eric Cunningham as well as Scott Bowman and Will Rush. Andrew Granek advised on tax matters.

Read MSE’s press release.

About McDermott’s Sports Law Group
For more than 30 years, McDermott has represented owners, investors, players, teams, and sports venues around the world in various leagues – including the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), National Football League (NFL), and PGA TOUR – handling their most critical transactional and non-transactional matters. With legal experience ranging from individual investments in teams and the purchase and sale of franchises, to solving critical tax, real estate, intellectual property, and labor law problems, our sports lawyers leverage top-tier M&A, tax, and estate to provide a problem-solving and client-focused approach to complicated sports law matters in the rapidly evolving sports world.

Leading organizations turn to global law firm McDermott Will & Schulte for a better way to address legal challenges, connect with those at the forefront, and drive stronger outcomes. Working across more than 20 offices globally, our 1,750+ lawyers act on data-driven insights, deep relationships, and unmatched industry experience to deliver on our commitment of Always Better.