WTMJ recently featured Eido Walny, founder of Walny Legal Group LLC, for signing one of Wisconsin’s first high school Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals—just hours after the state’s new NIL policy took effect.
The agreement was made with Darcy Doyle, a decorated lacrosse player at University School of Milwaukee who is committed to play Division I at Northwestern University. Doyle is a three-time USA Lacrosse All-American, two-time team MVP, and has earned multiple regional and national accolades.
“I think everybody thought that the first NIL deal in Wisconsin was going to be a boys basketball or boys football player,” Walny told WTMJ. “Frankly, if we or anyone else had gone that route, that would have been interesting, but not particularly newsworthy because that’s what everybody expected. And so we decided to go in a different direction in part because we felt that Darcy Doyle was a special athlete who deserved the attention and the honor of being the first NIL deal in Wisconsin.”
As a trusts and estates attorney with prior experience negotiating college-level NIL agreements, Walny recognized the opportunity early. “So when WIAA announced in April, I believe it was, that come May, they were going to authorize NIL for high school athletes, I certainly recognized that there was an opportunity to try to be the first,” he explained.
Unlike many NIL arrangements centered on social media influence or high-profile male athletes, this deal was intentionally designed to spotlight a female athlete with leadership qualities and a strong community presence. Through the partnership, Doyle will promote legal awareness for young adults, including the importance of documents like powers of attorney and medical privacy forms.
Walny also emphasized the legal complexity of NIL at the high school level. With WIAA policies still evolving, he noted that any misstep could potentially affect a student-athlete’s eligibility.
Full article available at:
WTMJ – Wisconsin high school athlete lands landmark NIL deal with Milwaukee law firm
By Nazir Spencer, WTMJ – August 6, 2025
Image credit: University School of Milwaukee (Darcy Doyle)