Dechert LLP
10/19/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/19/2026 12:08
Dechert Secures Win for OneTeam Partners in Trading Card Monopoly Suit
Dechert recently secured a victory on behalf of client OneTeam Partners in an antitrust lawsuit challenging exclusive licensing arrangements in the sports trading card industry.
On September 29, U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the Southern District of New York dismissed a putative class action brought by trading card consumers against Fanatics, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, their respective players associations and OneTeam Partners. The plaintiffs alleged that the defendants unlawfully monopolized the market for licensed trading cards through exclusive licensing agreements.
Judge Swain dismissed the action after concluding that the plaintiffs lacked standing to pursue their claims. With respect to NFL trading cards, the court noted that the plaintiffs did not allege that they had purchased any NFL trading cards and that Fanatics did not begin offering fully licensed NFL cards until after the lawsuit was filed. As a result, the plaintiffs could not plausibly claim either past or imminent injury.
The court also rejected the plaintiffs' allegations concerning Major League Baseball and NBA trading cards, finding that they failed to allege harm resulting from reduced product choice or competition. The ruling dismissed the claims against OneTeam Partners and the other defendants.
The Dechert team included George G. Gordon, Julia Chapman, Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Jeffrey A. Brown, Forrest E. Lovett, Kate Unger Davis, Madeline Holler and Brittany Olley.
About Dechert
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For more than 150 years, we have advised clients on critical issues - from high-stakes litigation to first-in-market transaction structures and complex regulatory matters. Our lawyers in commercial centers worldwide are immersed in the key sectors we serve - financial services, private capital, real estate, life sciences and technology.
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Dechert LLP published this content on October 19, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 19, 2026 at 18:08 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]