Site Search
Professionals 120 results
Capabilities 56 results
Industry
Winston has one of the world’s premier sports law practices. Our work has included some of the most famous legal matters in sports history—including Alston v. NCAA, the case that culminated in a 9–0 Supreme Court victory for the college players against the NCAA; the US$2.15B Los Angeles Dodgers acquisition; McNeil v. the NFL, the landmark antitrust jury trial that led to the establishment of free agency in the NFL; the multi-billion-dollar construction and permanent financings for SoFi Stadium; and Morgan v. USSF, the case that led to a historic equal pay settlement for the players on the Women’s National Team. Our work is transforming this global, multibillion-dollar industry.
Practice Area
Experience 8 results
Experience
|September 8, 2025
Winston represents a class of professional swimmers alleging World Aquatics (WA) violated antitrust laws by blocking their participation in the competing International Swimming League. After WA won summary judgment, Winston successfully appealed, arguing the court applied improper antitrust standards and wrongly denied certification of a damages class. In September 2024, the Ninth Circuit reversed both rulings, reviving all claims and issuing a landmark ruling on the possible application of the per se rule or quick look review to sports-associations rules. Am Law awarded Winston “Litigator of the Week” Runner-Up recognition for the win. In November 2024, the Ninth Circuit denied rehearing. In April 2025, the district court certified a damages class.
Experience
|June 8, 2025
Secured, with co-counsel, final approval of an historic settlement of over US$2.75B in back-damages for current and former college-athletes and a new revenue-sharing model allowing schools to share future earnings with athletes. This decade-long effort across four different lawsuits redefines the economics of college sports, affirming athlete rights and fair compensation. Following a 9-0 Supreme Court victory in Alston v. NCAA, the team filed three antitrust class actions, resulting in a groundbreaking settlement that creates a revenue-sharing system projected to generate at least US$20B in new, previously prohibited payments and benefits to Division I college athletes over the next decade. The settlement was recognized in Am Law‘s Litigator of the Week column.
Experience
|April 9, 2025
Won a major Second Circuit victory for Relevent Sports Group, LLC, a sports promoter that organizes soccer matches in the U.S. involving professional teams from non-U.S. leagues. A unanimous Second Circuit panel—repeatedly citing and quoting Winston’s briefs and oral argument—vacated the district court’s decision and revived Relevent’s antitrust suit against FIFA and the U.S. Soccer Federation, challenging a FIFA rule prohibiting official-season professional soccer games from being played outside a team or league’s FIFA-designated country. Am Law recognized the March 2023 win with a “LOTW” Runner-Up nod. With DOJ and Solicitor General support, we defeated Supreme Court review, leading to settlements with both defendants and paving the way for U.S.-venued foreign-league games.
Insights & News 399 results
Press Release
|December 15, 2025
|4 Min Read
Professional Swimmers May Be Eligible for Money Damages From a Class Action Settlement
Winston & Strawn LLP, representing Thomas A. Shields, Katinka Hosszú, and plaintiff classes of professional swimmers, is pleased to announce that it has reached a settlement with World Aquatics to resolve the claims on behalf of professional swimmers in the case Shields et al. v. Federation Internationale De Natation, pending in the Northern District of California.
In the Media
|December 11, 2025
|2 Min Read
Winston & Strawn secured a transformative settlement on behalf of 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports in their high-profile antitrust litigation against NASCAR. Reached mid-trial in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, the agreement delivers long-term structural stability for all NASCAR Cup Series teams and creates the conditions for meaningful competitive and commercial growth across the sport.
Recognitions
|December 9, 2025
|Less Than 1 Min Read
Winston & Strawn partner Jeffrey Kessler has been named to Sports Business Journal’s Influence 125 - The Most Influential People in Sports Business For The Past 25 Years. This list is a prestigious tribute to the trailblazers who didn’t just keep pace with change, they set it. From pioneering founders and high-stakes dealmakers to brand architects and media moguls, these 125 have reshaped the multibillion-dollar sports economy across every sector: sponsorship, tech, media, venues, events, agencies, and leagues. Sports Business Journal has chronicled the rapid evolution of the sports industry for nearly three decades, an era defined by bold visionaries, transformational leadership and the relentless pursuit of innovation.
Other Results 14 results
Location
Winston & Strawn’s New York office opened in 1989 and has since grown to become the firm’s second-largest location, with 225+ lawyers distributed across 16 practice areas. Based in the iconic MetLife Building above Grand Central Station in Midtown Manhattan, our New York lawyers represent 80+ Fortune 500 companies from the city’s business epicenter. Our New York attorneys are tenacious and insightful, and they reflect the rich tapestry of New York City, with lawyers from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives working closely to support each other's success and achieve their clients' goals. Several of our firmwide employee networks are chaired by New York attorneys. Our New York office’s welcoming and collaborative atmosphere can be seen through numerous office-wide events, including volunteer opportunities, gatherings to connect over food and drinks, wellness event pop-ups, and annual entry in the NYC Lawyers Basketball League. Creating a connected and supportive setting for attorneys and business professionals fosters camaraderie and encourages all of us to work harder for one another and our clients.
Location
Winston’s London office acts as a hub for our cross-border clients and advises a range of emerging and global companies, corporates, financial institutions, and private investors on domestic and cross-border matters. Our legal practices include corporate, M&A, private equity, capital markets, banking and finance, restructuring, litigation and disputes, international arbitration, antitrust and competition, and tax. Practitioners based in London include not only lawyers who are recognized as leaders in their fields but also a diverse group of international professionals, many of whom are bilingual and dual-qualified. Our global platform enables our London lawyers to quickly marshal relevant experience across practices and offices.
Site Content