In the Media
Co-chairman Jeffrey Kessler Profiled in National Law Journal’s “Winning: A Special Section”
In the Media
Co-chairman Jeffrey Kessler Profiled in National Law Journal’s “Winning: A Special Section”
November 2, 2015
Winston & Strawn Co-chairman Jeffrey Kessler was profiled in The National Law Journal’s “Winning: A Special Section” on November 2, 2015. The special report features top litigators from 20 law firms and shares their unique trial tips.
The profile highlights Mr. Kessler’s success defending football players Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and Tom Brady against discipline by the National Football League, which he says he accomplished by finding the “right themes, the right points that are going to resonate” with fact-finders.
“The NFL has been unique among major sports as being the last bastion of trying to operate an off-the-field disciplinary system for the players, in which [the NFL does] not deploy neutral arbitrators,” Mr. Kessler told the publication.
Mr. Kessler, who co-chairs Winston’s Sports Law Practice, shared the following three trial tips:
- “Trials never go as planned. The way the war is won is by instantaneous decision-making in response to the unexpected.”
- You always have to be ready for a trial and you have to plan your discovery and your motion practice as if there is going to be a trial. Sometimes that’s the best way to get a settlement.”
- When you conduct cross-examination, it’s extremely important to listen to what the witness actually says and then adjust based on that.”