The NFL is bracing for a lengthy legal battle after Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and eight others filed an antitrust lawsuit on Friday. The lawsuit came after the NFLPA filed decertification papers, becoming a professional trade association and dissolving as a union. The decertification papers and lawsuit came just hours ahead of the owners’ vote to begin a lockout, the first work stoppage for the NFL since 1987.
The NFL has lawyered up as it braces for the impending legal battle, bringing on two attorneys to defend the antitrust lawsuit. According to reports, the NFL has hired David Boies and Paul Clement to defend its case in Minnesota.
Boies is known for his work in 2000, when he represented Al Gore in the election dispute. The report comes from Ralph Vacciano, who covers the Giants for the New York Daily News.
Here come the big guns. The NFL just hired attorney David Boies, who represented Al Gore after the disputed 2000 presidential election.
Both sides are getting series, forming legal teams and preparing for litigation that could have ramifications down the line for both sides. The financial stakes high — in the hundreds of millions, should the players win the case — and the possibility of a long-lasting affect on how the NFL does business is hanging in the balance.
For the latest, check out the rest of our NFL lockout StoryStream.