Firm Client McDavid Merges With Shock Doctor Sports

Earlier this year, the owners of firm client McDavid, Inc. sold the company to fellow sports protection company, Shock Doctor Sports. The combined company, called United Sports Brands, brings together two leading sports protection and performance companies with complementary product lines and a shared history of innovation and commitment to athletes. This sale represents the culmination of years of carefully planned strategic growth and a well executed plan to bring the company to market.

McDavid manufactures, designs, and markets sports medicine, sports protection, and performance apparel for active people and athletes. McDavid products have remained at the top of the recommended lists of professional athletes, sports medicine specialists, and athletic trainers. From research-backed ankle braces to protective apparel with patented HEX technology, McDavid products address the broad range and specific needs of athletes across a variety of sports and levels of competition. 

The company’s athlete roster is stacked with some notable names, including Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, as well as some up and comers such as Dre Kirkpatrick and Nick Springer. But, that’s not all. McDavid apparel can also be seen on professional choreographers and dancers touring with some of the biggest names in music including Britney Spears, Madonna, Rihanna, Jason Derulo, and Lady Gaga. McDavid has been headquartered in the Chicago suburbs for nearly 30 years, with subsidiaries in Japan and Europe. The brand is proudly sold in major sporting good retailers across the United States and over 65 nations worldwide.

The McDavid legacy began in 1969 when Dr. Robert F. McDavid Jr., the company’s namesake and founder emeritus, created the first widely used protective knee brace for football. After a period of grass-roots growth, Robert F. McDavid III (Bob) and colleague Terry Fee founded McDavid Knee Guard, Inc., where they licensed the right to manufacture and sell the knee brace in 1980. Now, many successful product lines and years later, countless professional basketball and football players, as well as over 75 of the nation’s largest colleges and universities, are wearing McDavid.

The Firm’s Dick Burke has been working with Bob McDavid and Terry Fee since the 1980s. The Firm’s work with McDavid over the years has ranged from simple to complex. Assignments have included general corporate planning and maintenance matters, employment issues, tax planning, real estate matters, estate planning, as well as disputes. “Bob and Terry have, like other successful entrepreneurs, instinctively moved their company forward through the years,” says Burke. “As McDavid grew, so did the suite of services we delivered to them.”

“When Bob and Terry decided that they wanted to begin the process of selling the company, we were honored to be asked to represent McDavid in the transaction,” said Burke. 

Assisted by the Firm’s Adam Jung, the representation in this transaction began with early planning to develop a strategy to sell the company, which included finding the right potential buyer. Once Shock Doctor was selected, the Firm was active in all aspects of the transaction, including the negotiation of key agreements and the closing of the sale.

The Firm is honored to have been a part of the growth and success of McDavid as well as the continued success of United Sports Brands. For more information on the McDavid, Inc. transaction, please contact Dick Burke at rburke@burkelaw.com or 312/840-7001, or Adam Jung at ajung@burkelaw.com  or 312/840-7097.