$50M Settlement Approved in NFL Retirees’ Publicity Rights Suit

A Minnesota federal judge approved a $50 million settlement in a case over the publicity rights of more than 25,000 NFL retirees. Calling it a “historic settlement,” the judge stated it is “very creative and it’s very exciting to see this opportunity being provided to retired players for the first time.”

Despite the objection of 19 players, on November 1, 2013, the judge granted final approval of the settlement. The judge noted that “only one-tenth of one percent of the class objected and less …

October 24, 2013 NCAA / Rights

Ryan Hart Did Not Consent to $40 Million EA Settlement

Ryan Hart, a former Rutgers quarterback, told the New Jersey federal court that he was “completely uninformed” about negotiations and a settlement impacting his case against Electronic Arts (EA). In his October 21, 2013 filing, Hart did not object to the settlement, but he opposed an action to replace him as the named plaintiff.

The $40 million settlement, announced last month, will remove EA and the Collegiate Licensing Co. (CLC) from Hart’s case and two others if approved. Hart’s case was filed …

October 5, 2013 Concussions / NCAA

NCAA and Riddell Hit Head On With Concussion Case

Two former college football players “hit” the NCAA with another concussion case. This comes just one week after it agreed to mediate concussion claims in another pending case. All told, the NCAA now has three potential class action suits pending against it regarding concussion claims.

Former Washington and Oregon quarterback, John DuRocher, and former Washington safety, Darin Harris, filed the suit in an Indiana federal court. They are seeking over $5 million in damages for the repeated head injuries they sustained while playing. According to …

September 27, 2013 NCAA / Rights

EA & CLC No Longer “In the Game” With College Athletes

After a long legal battle with college athletes, Electronic Arts (EA) and the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) are calling it quits. On September 26, 2013, the companies announced that they reached a settlement agreement with the former college athletes. If the judge approves the settlement, the NCAA will be forced to defend the suits on its own.

Four years ago, former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, EA, and CLC focusing on college athletes’ rights and compensation. O’Bannon sought …

June 20, 2013 Labor & Employment

Chef Ramsey Served with Class Action Suit by ‘Fat Cow’ Employees

On Thursday, June 13, 2013, a proposed class action was filed on behalf of all former and current employees of Chef Gordon Ramsey’s Los Angeles restaurant “The Fat Cow.” The class action is lead by a former server, barista, and two hostesses who are taking their beef to California state court against the celebrity chef’s restaurant. The class action alleges that the restaurant’s management took tips from former employees, and violated a series of other wage-and-hour labor codes. The Fat Cow opened its doors on …

April 9, 2013 Concussions

Former NFL Players Fighting to Stay in Court in Hearing on Concussion Suit

On April 9, 2013, U.S. District Judge Anita Brody heard oral arguments in the ongoing NFL concussion litigation venued in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The suit essentially accuses the League of downplaying the risks of concussions and other playing-related head injuries and their effect on later-life cognitive decline. Multiple pending suits were condensed into a single multi-district litigation earlier last year and now includes over 4,200 former NFL players as plaintiffs. The outcome of today’s hearing could decide whether the lawsuit will continue in …

April 2, 2013 NBA

Heat is Off the Spurs for Resting Star Players as Class-Action Suit is Dropped

On March 29, 2013, Attorney Larry McGuinness voluntarily withdrew a putative class action lawsuit against the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. The suit had accused the team of wrongfully benching several star players (Tim Duncan, Danny Green, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker) in a November 29^,2012 game against the defending NBA champion Miami heat. Plaintiffs argued that the move caused the plaintiffs (i.e. the ticket holders to the event) economic damage because they had paid premium prices to attend the proposed star-studded event but …