Jul

15

The Score: A Big Week for Wilmer in the Sports Law Department

15-07-2011

Tagged Under : Wilmer, Wilmer Sports

Dewey Bozella, a pro bono client that Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr helped free from prison in 2009 after 26 years behind bars, received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs this week.

In winning the Ashe award–a hallmark of the annual awards show staged by ubiquitous sports network ESPN–Bozella joined an elite group that includes such individuals as Muhammad Ali and Nelson Mandela Before presenting Bozella with the award, actor Matthew McConaughey narrated a video segment detailing Bozellas story.

Wilmer litigation vice chair Peter Macdonald spoke to ESPN for its piece about Bozella, noting how much work the firms lawyers had to do to reconstruct a case that was more than two decades old. Bozella, a onetime amateur boxer, received the ESPY Award, in part, because of his involvement in a prison boxing program. Macdonald, Firsenbaum, and Friedman all attended the awards ceremony with Bozella.

Mainstream recognition of Wilmers pro bono victory on behalf of Bozella wasnt the only sports law-related development for the firm this week. The Am Law Daily reported on Wilmers withdrawal from representing Duke University and Duke University Health Systems in lawsuits linked to a 2006 case in which members of the universitys lacrosse team faced rape allegations.

On another front, Wilmer brought former partner David Donovan back to the firm from the National Football Leagues Washington Redskins, where he had spent the last six years as the teams chief operating officer and general counsel for the team. Sibling publication The National Law Journal reports that Donovan cited “personal reasons” for leaving the Redskins to rejoin Wilmer.

Donovan has been advising the team in a controversial defamation suit filed against The Washington City Paper, an alternative weekly newspaper that published this unflattering story about Redskins owner Daniel Snyder.

From NBA 3s to Legal Degrees

The Philadelphia 76ers became the latest National Basketball Association franchise to be sold this weekwhen an investor group led by private equity bigwigs Joshua Harris and David Blitzer purchased the team for a reported $280 million.

One member of that ownership group, sports agent and Greenberg Traurig alum Jason Levien, is reportedly in line to become the next general manager for the 76ers. Levien previously served as general counsel and assistant general manager of the Sacramento Kings before stepping down from that role last July.

Leviens dual legal and basketball operations roles reminded us about a Sports Agent Blog post late last month that examined the bevy of J.D.s now holding down GM posts.

Of course, none of these front office executives will be able to show off their basketball IQs until the league resolves its current collective bargaining situation. This week union chief G. William “Billy” Hunter, a former federal prosecutor, sent a memo to players supporting them in their efforts to play overseas if a new labor deal cant be reached.

Around the Horn

– The National Football League continues to grind along in its own labor lockout. Players and management both cited progress when talks recessed late Friday. The optimistic talk came after the two sides got back together and made some headway on the imposition of rookie wage scale in the wake of a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit that caused some consternation in a Proskauer Rose conference room earlier in the week.

– If you somehow missed jury selection, social media witness bashing, and opening statements in the federal perjury trial of former baseball star Roger Clemens, dont worry. With as much hype and excitement as the case began, it was over by Thursday–for now, anyway–when U.S. district court judge Reggie Walton declared a mistrial. Walton shut down the proceedings down after prosecutors presented evidence that had previously been deemed inadmissible, according to The NLJ.

– If youve been enjoying ESPNs new sportswriting venture Grantland.com as much as we have the past few weeks, you might have come across a column or two by Daniel McLaughlin. A litigation counsel with Sidley Austin in New York, McLaughlin penned two pieces for the site this week on the economics of the designated hitter rule in MLB and a breakdown of the Clemens mistrial. McLaughlin, who blogs about Americas pastime at Baseball Crank and politics atRed State, was a classmate at Holy Cross with Grantland editor-in-chief Bill Simmons.

– In April the agent for New York Yankees star Derek Jeter–he of the 3,000th hit-making tax obligations–announced that he was leaving industry giant CAA to join Excel Sports Management. Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton corporate associate Gabriel Matus, who advised Excel on that matter, this week reprised his role representing Excel as it lured heavyweight Mark Steinberg away from rival IMG. Steinberg, who headed IMGs global golf business and counts Tiger Woods as a client, will become a partner at Excel, which is expanding its sports offerings. Sheppard Mullin tax partner D. Matthew Richardson also advised Excel on Steinbergs hire.

– The bankruptcy case involving Major League Baseballs Los Angeles Dodgers continued to unfold this week, as it was announced that the leagues players association and a San Francisco Giants fan critically injured after the Dodgers home opener would be represented onan official committee of unsecured creditors. Lawyers for the injured fan from L.A.s Girardi Keese claim that their client, Bryan Stow, is owed up to $30 million by the Dodgers–more than the $21 million the team currently owes to former star Manny Ramirez. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt is also seeking to have a bankruptcy judge reduce the $600,000 he pays his ex-wife in monthly spousal support.

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