Jeffrey Kessler Profiled in Bloomberg Law for Pioneering Work in Sports Antitrust Litigation

Winston & Strawn Co-Executive Chairman Jeffrey Kessler was featured in a Bloomberg Law article spotlighting his decades-long leadership in sports antitrust litigation. Described by Bloomberg Law as the “GOAT” at the intersection of sports and law, Jeffrey has led landmark cases that transformed the sports industry.

Starting as an antitrust associate in 1977, Jeffrey built his practice over time, representing plaintiffs including the NFLPA, former New York Jets running back Freeman McNeil, and other NFL players in the case that led to the first NFL free agency in 1993. He has represented athletes including Michael Jordan and Tom Brady and led cases including NCAA v. Alston, in which the Supreme Court found the compensation rules for college athletes amounted to a violation of antitrust law, opening the door to NIL payments; the first of its kind $2.8 billion settlement against the NCAA in the House and Hubbard litigations, with a settlement that allows colleges to pay athletes directly; and the case that brought equal pay for the US women’s soccer team.

He stated that it’s long been about pushing back against powerful sports organizations’ effect on athletes. “When I first started out, the athletes didn’t have many resources,” he said. Today, many athletes are very well compensated, “but we are still fighting for economic justice and fairness.”

Jeffrey is also representing Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing team and Front Row Motorsports Inc. which have brought monopolization claims against NASCAR. He emphasized that high-level litigation  is a team sport that requires the support of the best people to win. 

“The only reason I can handle so many different cases at once is because I’ve got these incredible teams at every level,” he said.

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