News

There’s a Sports Conflict in a British Court with Connections to Boston

October 16, 2019 – Media Mention
The Boston Globe

Partner and Co-Chair of Herrick’s Sports Law Group, Irwin Kishner, was quoted in The Boston Globe article, There’s a sports conflict in a British court with connections to Boston. The article covered the high stakes showdown in a London courtroom regarding the right to put either a New Balance or a Nike symbol on the jersey of the Liverpool Football Club. New Balance wants to extend its deal with Liverpool, first forged in 2011, arguing that its uniform contract allows it to match any competing offer, while Liverpool believes it can use its newfound position as a global soccer powerhouse to strike a more lucrative deal with Nike.

“What’s got Liverpool all googly-eyed, if you will, is I think they see a much larger distribution network, particularly in Asia, more specifically China, and that market is ripe for the taking,” said Kishner, “and I see Liverpool saying, ‘Wait a second, what does New Balance have in comparison to Nike in China?’ And you really don’t have much of a comparison there; that’s just the way it is. From New Balance, I see this being a crown jewel that they are fighting tooth and nail to try and find a way of keeping in the family.”