The American Antitrust Institute (AAI) has selected the Miller Nash antitrust team, including Bruce Campbell, Erica Clausen, Max Forer, Eric Mills, and Joshua Sasaki, as an honoree in the category of Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Law Practice for their work in the K.C. Moultrie v. National Women’s Soccer League, LLC matter. The Miller Nash team accepted the award at the AAI Antitrust Awards Night in Washington, D.C., on November 9, 2022.
“It is an absolute honor to receive this award,” said Miller Nash sports law attorney Max Forer. “It was a pleasure to work with Olivia and help her achieve her goal of playing soccer professionally.”
In a landmark case, 15-year-old soccer player, Olivia Moultrie, was previously unable to be signed by the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) due to the league’s minimum age rule, requiring players to be at least 18 years old to play. Major League Soccer does not have the same age requirement. Miller Nash LLP, along with Law Offices of Leonard B. Simon P.C. and Gustafson Gluek PLLC, filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NWSL on behalf of Moultrie, seeking to end its minimum age rule arguing that it was an illegal agreement between the NWSL and its member teams to boycott athletes under the age of 18. The trial court ultimately ruled in favor of Moultrie, issuing a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, which opened the door for teams to obtain the right to sign Moultrie. Nearly half the league’s teams participated in the process, culminating in a signed contract between Moultrie and the Portland Thorns.
“Miller Nash’s legal expertise, combined with their sports background, was essential in the positive resolution of this case,” said Spencer Wadsworth, senior vice president, global soccer at Wasserman. “Their industry knowledge helped to develop strategies that were crucial to getting Olivia out on the field and playing professional soccer—something she has worked so hard to do and would not have happened but for Miller Nash’s guidance and expertise.”
“There aren’t words that can adequately express our appreciation for all the people we worked with at Miller Nash,” said KC Moultrie, father of Olivia Moultrie. “We were in a tough spot that would have life-changing ramifications for our family. Lucky for us, we were connected with the best legal team we could have hoped for. The team at Miller Nash is the best in the industry and I would recommend them to anyone. Our experience with the firm was literally a ten out of ten.”
Moultrie is the youngest player in NWSL history to score a goal and appear in a NWSL championship game.