Vanessa Bryant Brings Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Helicopter Owner

On Feb. 24, 2020, attorneys for Vanessa Bryant brought a wrongful death lawsuit against the owner of the helicopter that crashed last month, causing the deaths of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, their daughter Gianna Bryant, and seven other individuals. The suit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court while a memorial service took place at Staples Center, the arena where Kobe made much of his history. a well-known car accident attorney in Baton Rouge is heading the case.

In the complaint, Bryant …

February 24, 2020 Advertising / Concussions / Fraud / Litigation

False or Frivolous? The Court Will Decide Whether Concussion Testing Company’s Claims are Valid

ImPACT Applications, Inc. filed suit on October 29, 2019 against its competitor, Concussion Management, LLC f/k/a XLNTbrain, LLC in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. In its complaint, ImPACT alleges that XLNTbrain falsely advertised its products and services in violation of the Lanham Act. In addition, ImPACT alleges that XLNTbrain engaged in unfair competition practices.

Both companies market concussion assessment and management testing products with companion software. While both companies sell similar products, there are some notable differences. For one, ImPACT is …

February 20, 2020 Hockey / NHL / Sports Betting / Sports Gambling

NHL and IMG Arena Announce New Live Stream Sports Betting Service

On Feb. 18, 2020, the NHL and IMG Arena announced a new partnership agreement that will allow sports betting operators to live stream selected out-of-market NHL games. The goal of the agreement is to get sports bettors–specifically, NHL sports bettors–more involved in NHL games that they bet on, but normally could not watch.

Since 2013, IMG Arena, a London-based company that specializes in bringing sport and the sports betting industry closer together, has successfully provided live streamed NHL games at sports betting operators across Europe. The …

February 19, 2020 Ethics / Soccer / Sponsorships

UEFA Calls Penalty, Bans Manchester City from Champions League for Two Seasons

Last week, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) made waves among the soccer universe when it announced Manchester City Football Club (Man City) has been banned from the Champions League for two years, as well as fined 30 million euros (roughly 32.4 million USD).

First, some brief background. In 2018, emails were hacked and released that showed senior officials within Man City discussing implicit attempts to circumvent UEFA’s financial regulations. According to Spiegel International, a German newspaper, the released articles demonstrated that – among …

February 18, 2020 Litigation / NFL / Rights

Ex-NFL Player Tries to Take Marijuana De-Scheduling Lawsuit to U.S. Supreme Court

Ex-NFL player Marvin Washington and a group of medical marijuana patients told the Second Circuit that they will attempt to get their marijuana de-scheduling lawsuit against the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2017, the patients sued the DEA, arguing that marijuana was improperly classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. Schedule I drugs, which include heroin and LSD, are treated by the DEA as having a high potential for abuse and no clinical value. The patients alleged that the DEA’s …

February 14, 2020 Litigation

Jury Finds Avenatti Guilty of Fraud and Extortion

On February 14, 2020, a federal jury found celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti guilty of fraud and extortion over a scheme where he attempted to force Nike to pay him $25 million to conduct an internal probe in exchange for not publicly reporting Nike’s alleged scheme to make illicit payments to the families of high school athletes.

As we have continued to cover, on March 25, 2019, Avenatti was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit extortion, bank fraud, and wire fraud. According to the …

February 13, 2020 Contract / Golf / Litigation / PGA

PGA Tour Calls Big Miss, Requests Dismissal of Hank Haney Lawsuit

While much of the golf universe is preparing for Tiger Woods’ next outing at the Genesis Open, his former hitting coach has also returned to the headlines.

On February 10, 2020 the PGA Tour responded to a lawsuit filed by Hank Haney, a former radio host and coach for Tiger Woods. In May 2019, on the “Hank Haney Golf Radio” show on SiriusXM, Haney made comments regarding the U.S. Women’s Open that were considered openly sexist and racist. Following a formal apology, Sirius suspended Haney …

February 12, 2020 Class Actions / Concussions / High School / Litigation / NFL

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Riddell Will Continue, Judge Rules

A Texas federal judge told helmet manufacturer Riddell Inc. that it will not be able to escape a wrongful death lawsuit, denying the company’s motion to dismiss based on the state’s statute of limitations.

DuQuan Myers played high school football in the Dallas area from 2005 through 2009, during which his mother, Letitia Wilbourn, claimed that he suffered 15 concussions and “innumerable subconcussive blows to the head.” Myers took his own life in February 2017, and his mother filed suit against Riddell in March 2019, …

February 11, 2020 Hockey / Litigation / NHL

Philadelphia Police Clear Gritty of Alleged Assault

Gritty, the famed Philadelphia Flyers mascot, was recently cleared of all assault charges following a Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) investigation. In 2018, Gritty was introduced, and instantly beloved, as the new mascot of the Flyers. His bizarre and horrifying look, outlandish behavior, and mischievous acts – including wedding crashing, taunting nuns, internet trolling, streaking at the Penguins-Flyers Stadium Series game, and dropping the gloves with youth hockey players – have earned him fame and admiration of not only Flyers’ fans, but fans across the NHL.…

February 11, 2020 Gambling / Legislation

New York Appellate Court Rules Fantasy Sports is Illegal Gambling

The New York Appellate Division, Third Department, has ruled that fantasy sports betting is illegal gambling in New York State, reversing a 2016 law that had permitted the activity.

Previously, the legislature passed a law regulating daily fantasy sports, stating that the practice was legal within state limits. Opposition to the bill pointed out that the New York State Constitution prohibits lawmakers from legalizing gambling absent an amendment to the State Constitution. Meanwhile, proponents of the bill argued that the activity failed to meet the …

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