Email after email about the same thing over and over and over again, so they can keep ringing the cash register.

I never thought I would be making a comparison between the worst traits of unions and attorneys but it fits.

I think De told them to shut up, not leave the room.

…= $15B+ award. 30% to attorneys = $5B+ split to attorneys…”

Totally agree and that totally explains Kessler’s attack, attack, attack (don’t negotiate) policy we have seen up until the lawyers were kicked out.

The only thing I would add is that Kessler is also making millions right now, even if they don’t win an anti-trust suit. In 1998 he told Larry Kennan the cost of such a suit would be $3 million. Who knows how much it would be now, 13 years later. We do know that Kessler has made $25 million from 2006-2010:

“Kessler’s payoff is considerable — according to documents filed with the Department of Labor, Kessler’s law firm, Dewey & LeBoeuf, was paid more than $25 million for representing the N.F.L. Players Association from 2006 through 2010. More than $11 million of that was termed “C.B.A. Matters,” even before negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement hit full stride this year. ”

from NY times article “N.F.L. Players Put Faith in Lawyer’s Bold Move”

I’d also guess that Upshaw had Kessler in his place and let him know when he was needed. I’d also wager that Kessler believes since he has been around alot longer than Smith that he should have more power than he should.

Understandably lawyers will be needed at some point, perhaps hiring new ones would be best? Kick the idiotically selfish ones to the curb!

That said, businesspeople need to know how to use lawyers to the right ends. They, not lawyers, need to drive the bus. You would think the big shots at the NFL would have that down pat by now.

With the exception of criminal procedings lawyers aren’t really necessary (and even with some criminal procedings, they aren’t necessary.)

In other words, NFL and NFLPA*, saver yourself a few million dollars and just tell the lawyers “we don’t need you guys anymore.”

Training camps are late-July. Some number of weeks for the 400+ free agents to sign contracts and for all the rookies to sign must be accounted for.

The court case must be settled with the NFLPA reformed and both the players and owners voting for the newly negotiated CBA which will take at least a few weeks.

I think that the owners are all meeting next week in Chicago. It would be great if they had something to vote on and if the players were working through the process of reforming the union in parallel.

I agree. Remember that D. Smith is a lawyer and that he started this whole legal mess by walking out of the CBA negotiations, decertifying the union, and then having certain players file suit. However, maybe he is finally learning that, as head of the NFLPA/NFLPA*, he is not suppose to be their lawyer, but he is suppose to be their leader and look out for the players best interest.

That must be one hell of a great camera to pick up something that quick!

One of my proudest memories was a several hundred million dollar deal that was about to fall apart. As both sides started gathering their papers and prepared to walk away, I stopped them and offered a different way of looking at things. It wasn’t exactly what either side wanted, but it was close enough that they were each willing to live with it. It got the deal done.

That’s what a deal-making lawyer is supposed to do. Wringing every last penny out of the other side, at the risk of blowing the deal up, is NOT what a deal-making lawyer is supposed to do.

The two sides here, particularly the union, should ditch their attack dog lawyers and get some lawyers who know how to make a deal happen.