Steve Haney

Steve Haney
Born	Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
🏫 Education	Thomas Jefferson School of Law (JD)
💼 Occupation	Trial attorney
📆 Years active	1999–present
Known for	Christian Dawkins case, Jonathan Rinderknecht case, The Scheme

Steve Haney is an American trial attorney, former prosecutor, and sports attorney. He has represented professional athletes, sports executives, entertainers, and defendants in several nationally publicized criminal and civil matters. His legal work has received coverage from publications including the Los Angeles Times, Reuters, the Associated Press, ESPN, The Washington Post, and the Boston Globe.

Haney is known for representing Christian Dawkins during the federal college basketball corruption prosecutions, Jonathan Rinderknecht in the federal prosecution arising from the 2025 Palisades Fire, and NBA player Malik Beasley. He has also represented Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson in legal and business matters. Haney appeared in the 2020 HBO documentary The Scheme, which chronicled the FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball.

Prior to entering private practice, Haney served as an assistant attorney general and prosecutor in Michigan, where he handled insurance fraud and auto theft prosecutions. Before practicing law, he played NCAA Division I basketball at Loyola Marymount University and San Jose State University.

Early life and education

Haney was raised in Lansing, Michigan, where he attended Everett High School. He began his collegiate basketball career at Loyola Marymount University before transferring to San Jose State University, where he completed his NCAA Division I career as a guard. During his collegiate career, Haney was profiled by the Los Angeles Times, and his playing statistics are documented by Sports-Reference.

Following his basketball career, Haney attended Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor before entering legal practice.

Legal career

Early legal career

After earning his Juris Doctor, Haney began his legal career as an assistant attorney general and prosecutor in Michigan. During his tenure, he handled insurance fraud, automobile theft, and other complex criminal investigations before entering private practice.

Christian Dawkins trial

Beginning in 2017, Haney represented Christian Dawkins, one of the principal defendants in the federal investigation into corruption involving NCAA Division I men's basketball recruiting. The investigation, conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, examined allegations involving college basketball recruiting, financial advisers, apparel companies, and sports agents.

Throughout the prosecution, Haney argued that federal prosecutors were attempting to criminalize conduct that primarily involved violations of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules rather than traditional bribery or fraud. He publicly criticized the government's legal theory and maintained that the conduct at issue reflected longstanding practices within college basketball recruiting.

Haney represented Dawkins through multiple criminal proceedings, including trial, sentencing, and post-conviction litigation. During the proceedings, he sought subpoenas for prominent college basketball coaches and challenged the government's interpretation of evidence introduced during trial. His courtroom strategy and public statements were extensively covered by ESPN, the Los Angeles Times, and other national media outlets.

Following Dawkins' conviction, Haney continued representing him in post-conviction proceedings, including efforts seeking a new trial after later developments involving an FBI agent who participated in the investigation. His continued representation and legal arguments received additional national media coverage.

The Scheme

Haney appeared in the 2020 HBO documentary The Scheme, directed by Pat Kondelis. The documentary examined the federal investigation into corruption in college basketball through the perspective of Christian Dawkins. Haney appeared throughout the film discussing the investigation, the defense strategy, and his criticism of the prosecution's theory.

The documentary and Haney's role in it received coverage from national publications, including The Washington Post.

Jonathan Rinderknecht and the Palisades Fire prosecution

In 2025, Haney became lead counsel for Jonathan Rinderknecht after federal prosecutors charged Rinderknecht with arson in connection with the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history.

Haney's retention received national media attention. The New York Post described him as a "hotshot sports lawyer," while Reuters, the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times, and other national news organizations extensively covered the defense throughout the proceedings.

During the federal trial, Haney argued that prosecutors had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Rinderknecht started the fire. The defense challenged the government's interpretation of witness testimony and physical evidence while presenting an alternative theory that fireworks, rather than Rinderknecht, were responsible for igniting the blaze.

Following several weeks of testimony, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, and the court declared a mistrial in 2026. According to multiple news reports, the jury was deadlocked 10–2 in favor of acquittal on the charged offenses before the mistrial was declared. After the mistrial, Haney stated that the vote demonstrated reasonable doubt and maintained his client's innocence. National media continued covering the case as prosecutors prepared for a retrial.

Sports law

Over the course of his legal career, Haney has represented professional athletes, sports executives, and individuals involved in the sports industry. His practice has included athlete representation, contract negotiations, business matters, and criminal defense.

A 2012 Boston Globe feature identified Haney as a former representative of Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and discussed his work with Johnson during the ownership of a Swedish professional basketball club. The publication described Haney's longstanding involvement in professional basketball and international sports business.

In 2022, Haney was part of the representation team for NBA prospect Scoot Henderson during negotiations for Henderson's multi-year endorsement agreement with Puma. Sports Business Journal reported that Haney, Christian Dawkins, and Wallace Prather negotiated the deal, which was described as the richest shoe endorsement agreement for a non-draft-eligible basketball player at the time.

Haney has continued representing athletes in legal matters throughout his career, combining his background as a former collegiate basketball player with his experience in criminal defense and sports law.

Insurance fraud and complex litigation

Before becoming nationally known for several high-profile criminal representations, Haney developed a practice focused on insurance fraud, business litigation, and complex criminal matters.

An extensive feature published by Auto Rental News profiled Haney's representation of Michigan businessman Mark Waad during criminal proceedings involving allegations of insurance fraud and racketeering (RICO). The article described Haney's background as a former prosecutor and insurance fraud specialist, as well as his transition into criminal defense practice.

During the proceedings, Haney challenged the prosecution's repair-discrepancy evidence and argued that the investigation relied on flawed calculations and an incomplete review of the underlying repairs. The criminal charges against Waad were dismissed by the trial court, and the dismissal was later upheld on appeal. The article highlighted the case as a significant example of Haney's work in complex fraud litigation.

Malik Beasley

Haney currently represents NBA player Malik Beasley in connection with ongoing federal criminal proceedings arising from an investigation into alleged gambling activity involving NBA games. Haney has served as one of Beasley's principal defense attorneys throughout the investigation and subsequent criminal proceedings.

During the investigation, Haney publicly stated that Beasley had not been charged with a crime and urged that no conclusions be drawn while the investigation remained ongoing. Following Beasley's indictment in 2026, Haney stated that his client maintained his presumption of innocence and asked the public to reserve judgment until all of the evidence is presented in court. Haney has continued representing Beasley as the case proceeds.

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