Stuart Irvin is the founder of Covington’s Video Games & Esports practice. He worked with Riot Games to develop a franchise-based esports league in North America for the blockbuster game League of Legends. He also provided advice to Blizzard in connection with the formation of the Overwatch League and to Activision on the formation of the Call of Duty League. His work on esports matters has included the drafting of contracts with media partners, tournament operators, teams, players, sponsors and other stakeholders. His clients include Epic Games (publisher of Fortnite), Psyonix Studios (publisher of Rocket League) and Tencent (publisher of Honor of Kings, Arena of Valor and PUBG Mobile). The great English essayist and art critic Walter Pater once said “All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music. For while in all other kinds of art it is possible to distinguish the matter from the form, and the understanding can always make this distinction, yet it is the constant effort of art to obliterate it.” Stuart believes that video games are aspiring towards the condition of music and that a unity of perception where form and matter are one will be a singular achievement of the 21st century.