MSG bans opposing lawyers involved in merger from venues

They’re hopefully not Knicks or Rangers fans.

Madison Square Garden is banning lawyers involved in litigation over the merger of its entertainment group and networks from attending events at MSG until the suits are over, according to letters sent to at least two involved firms last week.

MSG says the “New York Rule of Professional Conduct” prohibits contact between the plaintiff shareholders’ lawyers and its employees under the circumstances.

The ban also extends to other MSG venues — Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theater, the Hulu Theater at MSG and The Chicago Theater — the letters said.

“Because of the adversarial nature inherent in litigation proceedings, and because of the potential for contact with the company’s employees and disclosure outside proper litigation discovery channels that could result from the presence of any of your firm’s lawyers at the company’s venues, neither you, nor any other attorney employed at your firm, may enter the company’s venues,” in-house MSG lawyer Hal Weidenfeld wrote in one such notice obtained by The Post.

“Should you attempt to enter or otherwise obtain access to any of the MSG venues, [MSG] will take appropriate steps to enforce this notice,” Weidenfeld added. “We trust that will not be necessary and that you and your colleagues will respect this notice.”

At least some of the plaintiff lawyers involved in the suits were nonplussed.

“We’re a firm full of Celtics fans,” one of the lawyers told Reuters. “If we want to watch the Knicks lose, it’s a lot more fun to see it happen at TD Garden.”

Another lawyer sniffed, “Everyone in my firm is a fan of either Philly or San Francisco teams, so I doubt anyone will care about being banned from Madison Square Garden.’’

A spokesperson said MSG “has both a right and an obligation to protect itself during litigation procedures.”

“With that in mind, we have instituted a policy that precludes attorneys from firms engaged in litigation against the company from attending events at our Venues until that litigation has been resolved,” the statement said. “While we understand this will be disappointing to some individuals, we cannot ignore the fact that litigation creates an inherently adversarial environment, and an ancillary consequence of that is our need to protect against improper disclosure and discovery.”