Soroosh Abdi | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 14, 1989 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Washington (BA) Seattle University School of Law (JD) |
| Occupations |
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Soroosh Abdi (born July 14, 1989) is an American lawyer and sports agent known for representing professional soccer players. His career spans high-profile contract negotiations in professional soccer and litigating cases in U.S. courts.
Abdi was born in Los Angeles, California, and moved to Seattle, Washington, during his childhood. He attended Henry M. Jackson High School and later graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Law, Societies, and Justice. He earned his Juris Doctor from Seattle University School of Law in 2014 and upon graduation was inducted into The Order of Barristers, a national honor society recognizing excellence in courtroom advocacy. [1] [2]
Abdi was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 2014 and began his career as a contract public defender in Okanogan County District Court. [3]
In 2019, Abdi appealed a Bothell Municipal Court misdemeanor conviction, raising double jeopardy arguments. By the time of the appeal, Abdi's client had depleted her savings, closed her business, and experienced family strain. Abdi handled the appeal pro bono, securing a full reversal of the conviction two years after the first trial began. At the reversal hearing, Wu detailed the personal and financial toll of the case, while Abdi criticized the court for "judicial recklessness" and for failing to protect her constitutional rights, stating that although Wu was "free and innocent," it came "at great personal cost." [4]
While in his second year of law school, Abdi founded Abdi Sports Representation, a sports agency representing professional soccer players and became a licensed FIFA players' agent in 2012. [5] His first major negotiation came in 2015, when he represented Nigerian forward Obafemi Martins in securing a four-year, $14.4 million contract extension with the Seattle Sounders FC. In 2016, Abdi negotiated Martins' transfer from MLS to Shanghai Shenhua for a reported $3 million fee, securing Martins a pay package worth €23 million net over three years. [6] [7]
Also in 2016, Abdi represented Joshua Yaro, the second overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft, negotiating one of the most lucrative Generation Adidas contracts in league history. [8]
In 2020, Paradigm Sports acquired Abdi Sports Representation. During his tenure, Paradigm managed well-known athletes including Conor McGregor, Manny Pacquiao, Israel Adesanya, and Jozy Altidore. [9]
In 2021, Abdi restructured Jozy Altidore's contract, facilitating his return to Toronto FC despite prior contractual freezes. In 2022, Abdi negotiated a buyout of Altidore's Toronto contract and secured a new Designated Player deal with the New England Revolution, making Altidore the highest-paid American in MLS at the time. Abdi's credited the leveraging of data analytics for player negotiations as integral in modern professional athlete advocacy. [10] [11] [12]
In 2024, Abdi represented Jermaine Jones in challenging a USL suspension. An independent audit concluded there were "substantial and procedural shortcomings" in the league's and USL Players Association's investigation, and found that Jones had faced unfair treatment and bias. [13]
In 2025, Abdi founded Agentify, a sports business administration platform. [14] [15]