he represented the unions in negotiating their return-to-work agreements. He also represented the MLBPA in defeating a preliminary injunction sought against the 2021 All-Star Game. Kessler has also recently served as lead class counsel for the World Cup-winning USWNT players in their action against the U.S. Soccer Federation, in which they contended that they have been denied their legal right to equal pay and working conditions to the members of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team, who have declared their support for the USWNT’s position. The case received intense global media attention in light of the USWNT players’ achieving their second World Cup win, while still receiving a much lower rate of pay than their male counterparts. The players successfully resolved their claims for equal working conditions on April 12, 2021, and are continuing their fight for equal pay in the Ninth Circuit court of appeals. Rankings and Recognitions Since joining Winston, Kessler has earned “Litigator of the Week” recognition by The American Lawyer for four of his impressive wins: (1) and (2) his June 2021 U.S. Supreme Court and March 2019 trial victories for classes of college athletes in their landmark antitrust challenge against the NCAA’s compensation restrictions in the Alston litigation; (3) his March 2018 defeat of the Indirect Purchaser Plaintiffs’ third attempt to obtain class certification in the In re Lithium Ion Batteries Antitrust MDL against Panasonic; and (4) his September 2015 victory on behalf of Tom Brady and the NFLPA in the “Deflategate” matter. Moreover, The Legal Aid Society presented Kessler with its 2019 Servant of Justice Award for his lasting impact on New York’s legal community, recognizing his devotion to the protection of the economic and social justice rights of athletes and their communities. And Columbia University presented Kessler with its distinguished John Jay award in 2016 to recognize Kessler as one of its most distinguished alumni. Kessler has been recognized by numerous publications, including Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, the Best Lawyers in America©, and Benchmark Litigation US. He is recognized by the Guide to the World’s Leading Antitrust Lawyers and Who’s Who of Competition Lawyers and was included in Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition (2009) as well as The Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2005, 2006, and 2008 through 2021) and Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America (2006). Kessler was named as a New York Super Lawyer (2006 through