Leading litigators from Quinn Emanuel and Linklaters have won roles as the UEFA-Fifa dispute heats up, with the European football body considering bringing criminal legal proceedings against Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
UEFA is considering pursuing a criminal complaint against Infantino in the Swiss courts over his now-abandoned plans to sell stakes in the commercial rights to major tournaments, including the World Cup, via the creation of a new subsidiary – Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE).
The European football body has filed documents in New York requesting evidence from investment fund Thrive Capital, owned by Josh Kushner, which was poised to be a key investor in the FFE.
UEFA has also filed requests in the Southern District of Florida to gather information from Fifa to use in the potential Swiss proceedings, seeking authorisation for discovery in a foreign proceeding.
Quinn partner Alex Spiro is representing Josh Kushner and Thrive in the dispute.
Spiro is co-chair of the firm’s investigations, government enforcement, and white-collar defence practice, and has experience working for high-profile clients including Elon Musk, Alec Baldwin, and Jay-Z.
He is recognised as a Legal 500 leading partner for corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defence in the US.
Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner – the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, who has served in a number of government roles in both the first and second Trump administrations.
Josh Kushner has pursued a number of investments in the increasingly active sports sector, including a deal to purchase the Los Angeles Lakers alongside former Disney CEO Bob Iger this August, for a reported $12.5bn.
Legal Business understands that Fifa is being represented by Linklaters, with Christopher Boehning, the new chair of the firm’s global sports practice and US strategic disputes, leading.
Boehning joined Linklaters last month from Paul Weiss, alongside fellow sports litigation partner Daniel Levi and former counsel César Rivière, who joined the firm as partner.
At Paul Weiss, the trio had a long history of working with Fifa, and worked with the governing body on several matters relating to the 2026 World Cup.
The development comes almost a month after UEFA informed Fifa that it was considering legal action, represented by Dechert, with New York white-collar crime partner Andrew Levander leading.
The instructions mark the latest development in the ongoing dispute over the FFE plans, and sports litigators previously spoke to LB about alternate routes for litigation for UEFA, including targeting the financial backers of the FFE.
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