Tom Brady has hired some high-power legal help to press his appeal against the NFL’s four game suspension. WEEI has the story:
A day after being suspended four games for his role in Deflategate, the Patriots quarterback has hired 61-year-old Jeffrey Kessler as his lawyer for this Deflategate, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He has represented the players associations of the NFL and NBA in countless arbitrations involving player free agency rights, collusion claims, and salary caps.
Why should the NFL, which also fined the Patriots $1 million and docked the team two draft picks, be concerned?
Kessler is arguably the most successful lawyer in history representing clients who take on established sports leagues. Namely:
In Brady v. NFL, he successfully represented a class of NFL players in an antitrust action which eventually led to the end of the 2011 NFL lockout.
In Belichick v. NFL, et al., he represented Belichick in litigation over changing teams.
In NFLPA v. NFL, he represented NFLPA in a successful challenge to provisions of NFL TV Contracts used to fund the NFL 2011 Lockout.
In McNeil, et al. v. NFL, et al., he won jury verdict for NFL players striking down free agency restrictions under the antitrust laws, eventually leading to the Reggie White class action. That case paved the way for the negotiation of free agency and the salary cap system in the NFL.
In North American Soccer League, et al. v. NFL, he successfully represented North American Soccer League in antitrust case striking down NFL ownership rules.
