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Court Approves Settlement of Suit Over NFL Players Publicity Rights
A federal judge in Minnesota signed off on a hotly contested $50 million settlement between the National Football League and former players who said the league infringed their publicity rights. The ruling was a blow to a group of plaintiffs' lawyers who lodged objections to the deal, calling it inadequate.
U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson in St. Paul granted final approval of the settlement, calling it fair and reasonable. Dryer v. National Football League, 09-2182. The district judge wrote that it would have been difficult for the plaintiffs to prevail on the merits, so it's a “remarkable victory” that they were able to get concessions from the NFL valued at $50 million. But Magnuson didn't rule on a request by plaintiffs' lawyers for $7.7 million in attorney fees, delegating that issue to a magistrate judge.
Six retired football players sued the NFL in 2009, alleging that it hadn't compensated them for the unauthorized use of their images in films and other merchandise. The plaintiffs sought to represent a class of about roughly 25,000 former players. In 2011, Magnuson awarded the role of co-lead plaintiffs counsel to Hausfeld LLP, Zimmerman Reed, and Minneapolis-based solo practitioner Robert Stein (a former NFL player).
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