NEW YORK, February 10, 2026 – Proskauer is pleased to share that it has been shortlisted for "Matter of the Year" at the 2026 Global Competition Review (GCR) Awards for its trial victory in NASL v. US Soccer. This distinction reflects the significance of the Firm's work and stands as a testament to the strength, rigor and dedication in delivering exceptional results for clients.
This past year, Proskauer secured a unanimous victory on behalf of its client Major League Soccer ("MLS") in an antitrust suit brought by the North American Soccer League ("NASL") against MLS and co-defendant, U.S. Soccer Federation ("U.S. Soccer"), which claimed that U.S. Soccer conspired with MLS to exclude NASL from Division I and Division II professional soccer and to monopolize those claimed markets. Following a three-week trial, a 10-person jury in the Eastern District of New York delivered a full defense verdict after approximately 90 minutes of deliberation, rejecting NASL's proposed relevant market definition as a threshold issue. The ruling was a significant victory for the broader sports landscape in the U.S., reaffirming the roles MLS and U.S. Soccer play in helping grow soccer as a sport and standing as an exemplar that plaintiffs who challenge leagues will not be successful based on unsupported allegations.
The GCR Awards are widely regarded as the benchmark for excellence in competition law, honoring the most significant matters and practitioners shaping the global landscape.
In December 2025, the Firm was named to Global Competition Review's 2026 'GCR 100' guide, an annual listing of the world's top antitrust and competition practices.