Jeffrey Kessler Named American Lawyer Litigator of the Week

Partner Jeffrey Kessler was named Litigator of the Week by The American Lawyer Litigation Daily for his historic win on behalf of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), overturning quarterback Tom Brady’s “deflategate” suspension.

As the co-chair of Winston & Strawn’s Sports Law Practice, Mr. Kessler led a team of lawyers in convincing Judge Richard Berman of the Southern District of New York to vacate Brady’s four-game suspension for allegedly taking part in a scheme to deflate footballs below the league’s rules for minimum air pressure.

Mr. Kessler told Am Law that, rather than focusing on the numerous factual inaccuracies in the preceding arbitration, his team instead chose to challenge the deficiency of the arbitration process. In his decision, Judge Berman relied heavily upon the arguments presented by Mr. Kessler and his team, citing the “significant legal deficiencies” in the NFL’s case and the “fundamentally unfair” disciplinary process to which Brady was subjected.

“The National Football League must be getting awfully tired of seeing Jeffrey Kessler in court,” Am Law wrote.

Mr. Kessler has represented the NFLPA in several high-profile cases since the late 1980s, but he told Am Law that this one received by far the most attention.

“We were inundated with volunteers who wanted to offer scientific advice, legal advice, factual advice, philosophical advice,” Mr. Kessler said. “I’ve never seen that level of interest or passion in the general public.”

To learn more about the victory, click here.