01 Jun BHSC Player Agent Announcement
Beverly Hills Sports Council announced today that MLB Player Agent, Rafael Nieves, is no longer employed by the agency.
BHSC wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
Danny Horwits is an MLBPA Certified Agent, partner and President of Beverly Hills Sports Council. After a brief Division III college basketball career, Horwits attended Loyola Law School where he got his J.D. in 1993. Horwits quickly rose from an intern to a Partner at BHSC where he has become a successful and respected agent. Horwits has led BHSC’s arbitration team to one of the best records in the industry, preparing and arguing hundreds of cases in the last two decades. Horwits has represented such clients as Bobby Bonilla, J.T. Snow, Alex Cobb, Jason Kipnis, and Mike Leake.
Frank J. Longo is general counsel of BHSC. He has been a practicing attorney for over 25 years specializing in business transactions, contracts and litigation and is a partner of the Law Offices of Frank J. Longo. His current practice specializes in negotiations and transactional work. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Business Administration and Business Finance and was admitted to the California Bar in 1994 after graduating from the University of West Los Angeles Law School. He resides in Los Angeles, California.
Dan Rosquete is a MLBPA Certified Agent with Beverly Hills Sports Council. Dan began his career as an agent in 2006 while still pursuing his undergraduate degree in Legal Studies at the University of Massachusetts. Dan received his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 2010, after graduating from the Massachusetts School of Law. Dan has a wide range of expertise in contract negotiation, salary arbitration, and immigration law. He resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
Tucker Ward joined BHSC after retiring from professional baseball. He was drafted in 2011 out of high school by the Arizona Diamondbacks but elected to play collegiately. In 2015, he was drafted out of the University of Mobile, signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ward’s experience as a player drafted out of high school and college provides unparalleled insight and a personal understanding of what is important in the draft preparation process. In addition to being the Captain of Mobile’s baseball team, Ward majored in the Science of Management. He was eighth all-time at Mobile in career strikeouts and seventh in career innings pitched. Prior to college, Ward was a prep standout at UMS-Wright, where he helped the team win two state championships. For over two decades, Ward has been directly impacted by the business of baseball as a son of a former MLB player and current MLB hitting coach, as a player himself, and now as an agent. Tucker Ward resides in Nashville with his wife and daughter.
Cesar Suarez is an MLBPA Certified Agent with Beverly Hills Sports Council. Suarez was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela and spent his childhood in Venezuela, Italy and Mexico as he followed his father’s baseball career. Suarez signed with the New York Yankees at 16 years old and spent 15 years playing professional baseball with the Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers. He continued his career internationally in Mexico and Italy. Suarez also spent 13 seasons in the Venezuelan Winter League. He became a full-time agent in the Latin Division at BHSC in 2016. He represents some of MLB’s top Latin players such as Salvador Perez and Rougned Odor. Suarez resides in Miami, Florida.
Emily Reza has over 14 years of combined experience in the sports industry, including four years leading public relations and social media at BHSC. She oversees publicity for BHSC clients with a focus on expanding their visibility in sports and lifestyle media, and creating awareness of their philanthropic endeavors. She has secured client features in outlets such as ESPN the Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Baseball America, MLB Network, and FOX Sports. In addition, Emily oversees social media for the agency and its clients including content creation, distribution and engagement. Emily earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of La Verne and a master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations from the University of Southern California.
Alinna Flores has over 11 years of experience in the sports industry, including seven years with BHSC in the marketing department. She has negotiated numerous athlete endorsements including deals with Dunkin’ Donuts, Papa John’s Pizza, MLB At-Bat and Ford. In addition, Alinna oversees Influencer Marketing for the agency and has established client partnerships at the national and regional level with various brands such as Cadillac, BMW, Equinox, Lululemon, Titleist, Body Armor, Hyatt Hotels and Walt Disney Resorts. She was a double major at Loyola Marymount University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Finance.
Toni Nocita has over 12 years of experience in the sports industry, including nearly 10 years with BHSC and over six years overseeing the marketing department. Toni specializes in athlete branding and oversees marketing campaigns to build brand value for Major League Baseball players. She has negotiated lucrative athlete endorsements including deals with brands such as Ford, Gatorade, MLB The Show and T-Mobile. During her time at BHSC, she has expanded the agency’s philanthropic services by working with over 80 non-profit organizations to develop charitable campaigns and fundraisers. Toni is also a Certified Sports Life Coach and earned a bachelor’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Pepperdine University.
Lorena Ysabel has over 15 years of experience in client services at BHSC. During her tenure at BHSC her responsibilities have spanned a variety of client services including bookkeeping, negotiating winter ball contracts, and contributing to the agency’s winning arbitration team. In addition, Lorena’s ability to speak English and Spanish fluently has made her a valuable facilitator for BHSC’s Latin division. Lorena is now a part of the Operations team, where she oversees and manages client equipment orders and processing. She was a double major at Pepperdine University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications and Spanish, and a Certificate in Dispute Resolution.
Margaret “Maggie” Lee has over 23 years of experience managing finances and taxes for Major League Baseball players at BHSC. Her superior knowledge of financial planning, including tax planning, tax preparation, and wealth management, has benefited hundreds of players at every stage of their careers. Maggie’s expertise is extremely beneficial in helping BHSC clients maneuver through nuanced areas of managing their compensation, including working with teams’ payroll and worker’s compensation departments. She has worked with all 30 Major League clubs ensuring clients are paid properly and their worker’s compensation cases are resolved. In addition, Maggie’s ability to speak English and Korean has made her a valuable resource for BHSC’s Korean clients. Maggie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Brett Ossola is the Head of Analytics and an MLBPA Certified Agent at Beverly Hills Sports Council. Prior to joining BHSC, Ossola worked in Player Development with the Detroit Tigers after receiving his J.D. in 2016 from the University of Miami School of Law. Ossola earned his Bachelor’s degree at Case Western Reserve University where he majored in history and was Captain of the 2nd winningest class in the school’s varsity baseball history. He led his team to two appearances at the NCAA National Tournament (2010, 2013) and was a three-time All-University Athletic Conference Selection at First Base (2009 – 2012).
Dan Vertlieb is an MLBPA Certified Agent with Beverly Hills Sports Council. He has over 15 years of experience in the sports industry, including a decade of experience as a Sports Lawyer. In 2019, Vertlieb negotiated the largest signing bonus in MLB Draft history for BHSC client and #1 overall draft choice Adley Rutschman. A graduate of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, Vertlieb is a licensed attorney in the State of Arizona. In addition to a decade of agency experience, Vertlieb also has an extensive background in media relations. He served as the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee’s Director of Media and Public Relations in 2007-2008, and was the Director of Communications for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League in 2003.
Mark Leinweaver is an MLBPA Certified Agent with Beverly Hills Sports Council. Mark attended Stonehill College in Massachusetts, where he was captain of the baseball team. The first decade of Leinweaver’s career in professional baseball began with on-air broadcasting and media relations roles. As an agent, his daily responsibilities include managing a myriad of off-field services for BHSC’s Major & Minor League clients and their families, salary arbitration preparation and contract negotiation. Leinweaver is also a volunteer guest speaker each semester at the University of Southern California on the topic of working in professional sports.
Josh Borkin is an MLBPA Certified Agent with Beverly Hills Sports Council. Borkin began his career as an agent in New York City in 2007, shortly after earning his law degree from John Marshall Law School. Borkin also holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and is admitted to the New York Bar. Borkin has over 10 years of experience managing the careers of Minor and Major League Baseball players with a wide range of expertise in salary arbitration, contract negotiation and securing autograph and equipment deals. Borkin lives in Miami, Florida with his wife and their two children.
Rick Thurman is an MLBPA Certified Agent, founder and partner of Beverly Hills Sports Council. Thurman attended Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA where he played college baseball. Following his college baseball career, Thurman signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. In 1984, Thurman discovered the agency world and founded Beverly Hills Sports Council. Over the past 30 years, he has represented clients such as Trevor Hoffman, Tom ‘Flash’ Gordon, Scott Erickson, Rod Beck, Rickey Henderson, Barry Bonds, Tim Lincecum, and Hunter Pence, and continues to be one of the most respected agents in the industry.