Jumping the Gun on Doping: A Golfer’s Lawsuit Against the PGA

On January 29, 2013, professional golfer Vijay Singh admitted to using Ultimate Spray during a Sports Illustrated interview. He thought he was advertising for a product that eased his back pain. Later that day, he found himself in a media hailstorm and facing professional setbacks. He had admitted to using “deer antler spray” that contained a prohibited growth hormone, IGF-1.

The PGA Tour immediately sanctioned Singh and gave him 90-day suspension for violating the PGA Anti-Doping Policy. Immediately, Singh began the process to appeal …

June 7, 2016 Fraud / Litigation / Soccer

Soccer Superstar Lionel Messi Goes on Trial for Alleged Tax Fraud in Spain

In what has become a scandalous recent trend in the world of sports, Lionel Messi has become the latest high-profile soccer superstar to deal with Spain’s tough tax system and its legal enforcement. Messi’s tax trial began earlier this week in Barcelona, but the soccer legend finally had his day in court on Thursday, June 2, 2016.

On the stand Messi reiterated the theme his attorneys have been illustrating over the course of the week — that he had zero knowledge of the financial transactions …

June 7, 2016 Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Litigation / NBA

Video Game Makers Say Tattoo Arguments Not Sketched in Law

On Friday, May 27, 2016, video game companies 2K Games Inc. and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., the makers of the popular basketball video game series “NBA2K” and its yearly releases, filed a reply memorandum of law in support of its motion to dismiss an ongoing suit in the Southern District of New York against tattoo licensing company Solid Oak Sketches. The filing comes in response to Solid Oak’s brief in opposition filed earlier in May, in which it claimed that it was entitled to statutory …

June 3, 2016 Litigation / MLB

Nationals Want Ugly Legal Battle against Orioles, MASN Over TV Broadcasting Back in Arbitration

On May 27, 2016 the Washington Nationals filed a Memorandum in further support of their motion to compel the Baltimore Orioles and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) to re-arbitrate their broadcast dispute. With their memorandum the Nationals seek a NY State Judge to force re-arbitration before the Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee (RSDC) of Major League Baseball between the Nationals, Orioles, and MASN.

This tireless fight over broadcasting between the two clubs began back in 2005 when the Nationals moved from Montreal to Washington against the …

June 2, 2016 Litigation / MLB

Family of Deceased MLB Player Blames Tobacco Company for Player’s Death

On May 23, 2016, the wife and children of former MLB player Tony Gwynn brought a wrongful death suit against a tobacco company for manipulating Gwynn into an addiction that eventually took his life.

The lawsuit was filed in a California court against Altria Group, Inc., the parent company of Philip Morris USA and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company. The complaint alleges that the company got the baseball hall of famer addicted to smokeless tobacco and used him and his addiction as a promotional agent for …

May 31, 2016 Litigation / NFL

Ninth Circuit Finds No Jurisdiction in Former NFL Player’s Lawsuit

On May 19, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit bought by Travelers Indemnity Company regarding workers’ compensation benefits paid to former National Football League player Jim Rourke.

Rourke, an offensive lineman who played with multiple teams including the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints in the 1980s, filed a claim in California for cumulative injuries as a result of his time in the NFL, including in games played in California. Travelers insured …

May 27, 2016 Fantasy Sports / Litigation / NCAA

Class Action Suit From College Athletes Against Fantasy Sports Continues in Federal Court

On Wednesday, May 18, 2016, former NCAA athletes moved their lawsuit against major fantasy sports sites FanDuel and Draftkings to Indiana federal court. The lawsuit was initiated earlier this month when a group of former athletes sued FanDuel and Draftkings over the unauthorized use of the players’ names and likeness for fantasy sports betting. The class action alleges that the fantasy sports sites used the players’ names and likenesses to promote fantasy college sports contests for which they charged fees and generated about $3 billion.…

May 26, 2016 Litigation

Lawsuit Claims Get Hard’s Moviemakers Stole Story Ideas

X-Men screenwriter David Hayter and Howard Films (on behalf of Hollywood writer and casting director Tamer Howard) are suing the producer and talent managers of the Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard, claiming the comedy was based off of their story ideas.

According to the complaint, in May of 2012, Hayter and Howard presented ideas, story materials, and treatments to prominent talent managers Jimmy Miller and Julie Darmody for a “prison preparation buddy” comedy, after registering their treatments with the Writers …

May 24, 2016 Litigation / NFL

Former NFL Player’s Lawsuit Against the NFL Alumni Association Will Continue

On May 19, 2016, a federal judge in Florida denied the National Football League Alumni Association’s (NFLAA) motion for judgement on the pleadings in a lawsuit accusing the NFLAA of cutting Earl Christy out of consulting fees after he helped a developer obtain the NFLAA’s endorsement.

Christy, a former kickoff returner and defensive back for the New York Jets, entered into a consulting agreement with Tampa developer and attorney, Mark Bouldin. Bouldin represents Validus Senior Living, a provider of “a complete continuum of leading-edge …

May 21, 2016 Litigation / NFL

A Rocky Road for Former NFL Player Seeking Full Disability Benefits

Regulated and governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), The Bert Belle/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan and The NFL Player Supplemental Disability Plan said it did not breach its fiduciary duties to beneficiaries and participants of the plan, in an attempt to dismiss one cause of action in a lawsuit brought by a former NFL cornerback.

Charles Dimry played for the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, and San Diego Chargers during the years 1988-2000. In 1997 and again …