Jackson Walker partner Bob Latham was recently part of two significant announcements from USA Rugby, the governing body for the sport of rugby in America.

Mr. Latham serves as Chairman of the organization and is a member of the World Rugby Executive Committee.

On November 10, 2015, the Professional Rugby Organization (PRO Rugby) announced the formation of the first professional rugby competition in North America, exclusively sanctioned by USA Rugby. Matches are slated to begin in April 2016 with six teams in major metropolitan areas in the Northeast, the Rocky Mountains and California. In addition, Canadian-based teams will be added to the league in 2017.

“As the fastest-growing team sport in the USA, it is time to have a sanctioned professional competition,” Bob said. “We are very happy to partner with PRO Rugby in taking this step to popularize the game, to inspire Americans to fall in love with rugby, and to show the rugby world what American players can do.”

Also announced on November 10 were significant revisions to World Rugby’s governance structure. The reforms include additional countries being represented on the World Rugby Council and expanded voting rights for regional associations. For more information, view the press release here.

“I am very proud of my World Rugby Council colleagues for adopting these and the other governance reforms, including the two independent seats on the World Rugby EXCO,” Bob said.

Bob’s practice at Jackson Walker includes intellectual property litigation, commercial litigation, and media law.