A New York law firm’s fight with Madison Square Garden has taken an unexpected turn, with the dispute now reaching across town to Barclays Center.
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The dispute involves Mark David Shirian and Shawn Daniel Shirian, attorneys at Mark David Shirian P.C., who represent Nino Ufie in a personal-injury lawsuit against MSG Arena, LLC, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. and MSG Entertainment Holdings, LLC. The case was filed in New York Supreme Court on August 14, 2026, and remains open.
On September 28, MSG Entertainment formally notified the Shirian firm that its attorneys could no longer enter Madison Square Garden or several other MSG venues while the litigation remained unresolved. Days later, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment’s premium hospitality team invited Mark Shirian and his team to the October 8 Nets-76ers game at Barclays Center, writing: “I recently came across Shawn’s post and was struck by the way you spoke about standing behind the clients who trust you with their cases.” The email added: “I would be happy to host you and your team at the 10/8 Nets vs 76ers game.”
MSG Ban Leads to Unexpected Barclays Center Invite
The letter followed a policy MSG has publicly defended since 2022. In a January 2023 statement, MSG said: “Attorneys who have filed a lawsuit against MSG Entertainment are not welcome in our venues while litigation is ongoing. When the litigation is resolved, they will be welcomed back.” The company said the policy also covers attorneys representing ticket scalpers, personal-injury claims and class-action litigation, while excluding sexual-harassment and employment-discrimination claims.
James Dolan defended the policy in a January 2023 interview on FOX 5’s Good Day New York. “The real issue is our policy of not letting attorneys who are suing us into our building until the litigation is done. When it’s done, they’re very much welcome back,” Dolan said. He added: “If somebody sues you, that’s confrontational… And it’s fine. People are allowed to sue, right? But at the same time, if you’re being sued, you don’t have to welcome the person into your home.”
The Shirian case is a direct example of that policy being applied. MSG’s September 28 letter said the firm represented “one or more plaintiffs in litigation against Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., or one or more of its affiliates or subsidiaries” and barred its attorneys from Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Beacon Theatre, The Chicago Theatre and the Infosys Theater at MSG until the litigation reaches a final resolution. The letter also said previously purchased tickets were “revoked and deemed revoked, void and invalid.”
The invitation was also framed as a business opportunity, rather than a direct shot at MSG. The Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment manager said the company wanted to “learn more about the company and the work you are doing” and offered to show Shirian and his team Barclays Center’s “newly renovated premium spaces” while exploring whether the venue could be useful for the firm, its clients or its team.
The Shirian letter is also the latest example of a policy that has affected attorneys across New York. ESPN reported in 2025 that more than 1,000 lawyers from roughly 90 firms had been barred since 2022, though MSG disputed those figures. The company has continued to send similar letters, including one reviewed by WIRED in 2026 involving attorney John Scola.
For now, the two sides have offered very different messages. MSG’s letter says the firm’s attorneys cannot enter its venues until the litigation is resolved. Brooklyn’s invitation simply asks Shirian and his team to come to Barclays Center instead. Pasted text