Tom Brady has beaten the NFL in court before — and with the same lawyers. Back when an NFL lockout threatened to quash the entire 2011-12 NFL season, lawyers from Winston & Strawn were co-counsel on the case that prevented it from happening. That case was called Brady v. National Football League.
Back then, Brady and nine other NFL players collectively known as the “Brady Plaintiffs” — they chose Brady’s name because, well, he’s the famous one — filed an antitrust suit that led to a settlement with the NFL that ended the lockout and won new rules that generally favored players’ rights over the NFL’s front office hegemony. Winston & Strawn dealt the NFL another blow on Brady’s behalf this week, getting the “generally aware” quarterback’s suspension reversed. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell must have bad dreams about the lawyers at Winston & Strawn. They keep beating him. They’re a dynasty.
