Canadian Lawyer

www.canadianlawyermag.com 55 Integrity Coalition, which are "bodies that have sought to provide a broader regulatory mandate across geographical boundaries." Lawyers anticipate the future of law firms and the impact they can have in the esports space is going to be through compliance and regulation, but, as of right now, there's just nothing with which to comply. Getting the legal work Another big challenge for law firms wanting a piece of the esports action is that clients are very focused on authenticity, more so than other more typical client groups. Industry players love the games they play, they are passionate about what they do and they are looking to work with people who truly get where they're coming from. They don't want the lawyer with the most years under their belt, they want a lawyer who understands the industry — and many participants believe esports has a history of being underestimated. Sending in lawyers who may have the most legal experience but aren't sure what Fortnite is misses the mark. "While many can claim some relevant expe- rience in most areas esports touches, likely a much smaller number really understands how the industry works," Czegledy says. Segev advises that firms send any true gamers they may have, noting it's a good start even if they've never done any esports work in the past, as esports clients like to work within their community. "That's who you bring to the table on Day 1, and then you bring your other transferable skillsets," Segev says, adding that the player demographic is generally very educated and technologically savvy with the potential to build sustainable businesses. "We just have to wait to see what they do and how the mar- ket evolves." As participation in the esports industry ramps up, it may get easier for Canadian law There's no infrastructure in Canada right now, and globally there is no overarching regulatory body that has the reins. Some publishers, who own the underlying activity, have tried to create their own rules of play and other guidelines. This situation is unique to the sports world, since any time a person plays a video game, it's under licence. Nobody owns the sport of soccer, for example, where anybody can grab a ball and go play. Esports leagues and teams, broadcasters and the ven- ues where tournaments are held all have their own individual policies, which further com- plicates things as there's no single set of rules or source for oversight or a main governing agency that could enforce the rules even if they existed. Czegledy says some regulators, often with a history in related industries, in the United Kingdom, Germany and France, for example, have started looking at regulation and notes the industry itself has developed entities such as the Electronic Sports League or the Esports CANADA OPENS FIRST ESPORTS-SPECIFIC ARENA The Gaming Stadium was built last year in Richmond, B.C. It has seating for 110, a massive TV screen and a large stage not just for competing but for viewing and training as well. The current building is temporary, with plans to build permanently on land beside the current arena in 2020 or 2021. The permanent arena will hold up to 300 people, accommodate commentators and offer live streaming of competitions. The Gaming Stadium aims to host regular tournaments for prize money, but it also wants to offer an inviting space for gamers of all levels to congregate to socialize and work on their skills. firms to throw their hats in the ring. Because of the movement in the space, more and more young lawyers and law school students are putting their own experience with and love of gaming to use in the legal sphere, which is another nod to the fact that esports is not only a pastime but a legitimate area of skill. During the firm's latest student recruit- ment week, Mason says, he's never seen so many law school students excited to talk to him about an industry — half of them had gaming as an interest on their resumés. Mason also notes that the associates are "all incredibly excited to work on it because it's something they understand and love." "When things are moving quickly and hun- dreds of millions of people are doing it, the opportunities are endless," Mason says. "As a Canadian legal market, we just have to fig- ure out how to make sure we're at the front of these opportunities as much as possible."

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