Ex-NFL Trainer Must Arbitrate Defamation Claims
In O'Neill et al. v. Miami Dolphins Ltd. Inc. et al., a Florida appeals court case between a former trainer and the NFL team, the defendants were represented by Holland & Knight attorneys Scott D. Ponce, Sanford L. Bohrer and Rebecca J. Canamero. The Dolphin's former trainer, Kevin O'Neill, filed a defamation suit against the team's owner and head coach following an alleged harassment scandal that led to his public firing. The ruling affirmed a trial judge's ruling enforcing an arbitration clause, but left a key question about O'Neill's employment agreement unanswered.
At the time of the case, Mr. Ponce, counsel for the Dolphins, provided his insight to Law360. "The climate we're in right now, NFL arbitrations have received a lot of publicity, and this was an important step in holding that the team's contracts with its employees and the arbitration clauses are enforceable,” he said.