Brady’s Lawyer Has History of Winning Big Cases Against NFL
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Brady’s Lawyer Has History of Winning Big Cases Against NFL
On Tuesday evening it was reported that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has added attorney Jeffrey Kessler to his legal team. Kessler has a long history of being a real agitator to the NFL and has helped win some major cases in favor of high-profiled NFL players.
SEE SLIDES BELOW: Kessler vs. NFL: Winning the Big Cases
Most recently, Kessler overturned Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson's indefinite suspension. Peterson was indicted last September on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child when he was accused of beating his 4-year-old son with a tree branch.
Kessler has represented player associations in all major sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) and individual athletes in the NFL, NBA, AFL and MLS.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTHere are the Big Cases Kessler Has Won Against the NFL:
Kessler vs. NFL: Winning the Big Cases
Free agency
Year: 1992
Case: McNeil v. the NFL
Importance: This case is the landmark antitrust jury trial that led to Free Agency in the NFL. This case paved the way for Reggie White's class action lawsuit against the NFL and ultimately secured the current free agency and salary cap terms in the league.
Belichick vs Jets and NFL
Year: 2000
Case: Bill Belichick vs. NFL and New York Jets
Importance: When Belichick signed with the New York Jets, he agreed to be the heir apparent to their head coaching position once Bill Parcells stepped down. He was named head coach as soon as Parcells retired, but within two days, he himself retired from the position - citing that because the Jets were under new ownership, he no longer had to adhere to his contractual obligations.
Belichick wanted to coach the New England Patriots.
Belichick hired Kessler as his attorney, and after a number of tries and a trade between the Jets and Patriots, Belichick was finally able to come to New England. The rest is history.
Bountygate
Year: 2011 - 2012
Case: Vilma et al vs NFL
Importance: Over the course of three seasons (2009-2011), the NFL found that the New Orleans Saints had been orchestrating a bounty system to purposely injur star players on opposing teams. In 2012, Jonathan Vilma and three other Saints players were suspended (Vilma for the entire 2012 season).
At the behest of Kessler, Vilma and seven other witnesses testified in front of a federal judge claiming that Commissioner Roger Goodell had false information regarding the bounty system and that these players were instructed by coaches and personel.
All of their suspensions were vacated in Fall of 2012, and Vilma (pictured) ended up playing in 11 games that season.
Ray Rice
Year: 2014
Case: Ray Rice and NFLPA vs NFL
Importance: Following accusations of beating his wife in an elevator, Ray Rice was indefinetly suspended by Goodell for the remainder of the 2014-2015 season and beyond. The NFLPA gave Kessler a call and within months Rice's suspension was vacated.
Photo Credit: "RayRice27" by Keith Allison - on Flickr
Adrian Peterson
Year: 2014
Case: Adrian Peterson and NFLPA vs NFL
Importance: Peterson was accused in May of 2014 for beating his son with a branch of a tree.
Kessler argued that because the incident occurred prior to the NFL's new conduct policy which was released in August 2014, Peterson should not be subject to it.
The case went to federal court and Peterson's suspension was vacated. He was reinstated on April 15, 2015.
Photo Credit: "Adrian Peterson 2010" by Mike Morbeck - Flickr
Deflategate
Year: 2015
Case: Tom Brady vs NFL (Pending)
Importance: It was recently announced that Tom Brady had hired Kessler to be part of his legal team in his defense in the Deflategate controversy. It is likely Brady appeals his four game suspension sometime today and then the legal process will begin.
