Infront Sports & Media Wins Dismissal of Class Action Suit

Judge James C. Mahan of the District of Nevada granted Paul, Weiss client Infront Sports & Media AG's motion to dismiss a putative class action brought by two Nevada residents against Infront and five other defendants, including Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The plaintiffs asserted claims under the Sherman and Clayton Acts, a civil RICO claim and a claim for unjust enrichment. The plaintiffs purported to represent a class of all U.S. residents who had purchased hospitality packages to the 2014 FIFA World Cup from defendants for allegedly inflated prices and also made vague claims concerning the defendants' sale of tickets for prices higher than the "face value" of the ticket. In essence, the plaintiffs sought to challenge the ability of FIFA and its affiliates to set prices for tickets to its own events.  

In a written opinion, Judge Mahan denied the plaintiffs' motion for leave to file an amended complaint and dismissed the complaint against all parties, without prejudice, based on a finding that plaintiffs lacked standing to assert their claims. Judge Mahan found that, although the claims centered around the sale of hospitality packages, neither named plaintiff had, in fact, purchased a hospitality package. Judge Mahan also noted that the only tickets that the plaintiffs purchased for higher than "face value" were purchased on the secondary market rather than from any defendant. For these reasons, Judge Mahan found that the plaintiffs had failed to establish standing to assert claims against any defendant, either on their own behalf or on behalf of members of the putative class.  

The Paul, Weiss team included litigation partners Christopher Boehning and Andrew Finch and counsel Daniel Levi.