Law firm partners have made clear that coveted NBA playoff tickets are a client relationship tool first, and an associate perk second, if at all.
Irwin Kishner, co-chair of Herrick Feinstein’s sports law and corporate department, addressed the issue directly in comments given to the American Lawyer.
Kishner’s remarks concerned how Biglaw firms handled the distribution of highly sought-after tickets to a recent New York Knicks game.
His position was blunt and unambiguous, leaving little room for associates who may have been hoping to score a seat at Madison Square Garden.
“Sorry, associates, but those Knicks seats were always going to clients,” Kishner said, summarising the prevailing logic inside major law firms when premium sporting inventory becomes available.
The sentiment reflects a longstanding reality in Biglaw culture, where sports tickets function primarily as tools for client entertainment rather than staff rewards.
For attorneys who work gruelling hours in the hope of occasional perks, the comment serves as a candid reminder of where they sit in the firm’s hierarchy of priorities.
Gibson Dunn took a different path to securing its seats, winning courtside tickets through an auction that benefited the Garden of Dreams Foundation.
Courtside seats at Madison Square Garden represent some of the most prestigious and expensive real estate in professional sport, making Gibson Dunn’s auction win a notable one.
As for Kishner himself, despite his firm’s deep roots in sports law, he did not attend the game and instead watched it from home.
The episode highlights the tension that exists inside large law firms between rewarding junior talent and maintaining the client relationships that drive revenue and business development.
Associates at top firms routinely work long hours with the expectation that exceptional performance will come with certain benefits, including access to firm-held sports and entertainment tickets.
However, when marquee events are involved, client entertainment almost always takes precedence, a reality that Kishner’s comments have now made explicit and public.
The New York Knicks have enjoyed renewed relevance in recent seasons, driving up demand for tickets and intensifying competition among firms for access to Garden seats.
For Biglaw associates dreaming of courtside access, Kishner’s straightforward admission may serve as one of the more honest pieces of career advice they receive this year.