INTHECIRCUITCOURTOFTHEFIFTEENTHJUDICIALCIRCUIT,INANDFORPALMBEACHCOUNTY,FLORIDACASENO.:11-_FREEDOMSOCCER,LLCandMAGICTALKSOCCERCLUB,LLC,Plaintiffs,v.WOMEN'SSOCCER,LLC,Defendant.
PLAINTIFFS'VERIFIEDMOTIONFORTEMPORARYINJUNCTIONANDTOCOMPELCONTRACTUALDISPUTERESOLUTIONPROCEDURESANDARBITRATION
Plaintiffs,FreedomSoccer,LLCandmagicTalkSoccerClub,LLC,(collectively,the"Team"),byandthroughtheirundersignedcounselandpursuanttoRule1.610oftheFloridaRulesofCivilProcedure,theFloridaArbitrationCode,FloridaStatutes§§682.03,andtheFederalArbitrationAct,9U.S.C.§§1
etseq.,
respectfullymoveforanorder(1)temporarilyenjoiningdefendantWomen'sSoccer,LLC(the"League"),itsofficers,agents,servants,employees,andattorneys,andthosepersonsinactiveconcertorparticipationwithit,fromtakinganyactioninfurtheranceoftheLeague'spurportedOctober25,2011terminationoftheTeam'smembershipintheLeaguewithoutfirstexhaustingtheparties'agreeddisputeresolutionandarbitrationprocessassetforthinArticleXIIoftheSecondAmendedandRestatedLimitedLiabilityCompanyAgreementofWomen'sSoccer,LLC(the"LLCAgreement");(2)allowingtheTeamtocontinuetoparticipateinallLeagueeventsandactivitiesinwhichitwould
otherwisehavehadtherighttoparticipatehaditnotbeenpurportedlyterminated,includingwithoutlimitationthesigningofplayers;(3)extendingtheLeague'sexclusiveplayersigningperiodfor30days;and(4)compellingtheLeague'sspecificperformanceundertheLLCAgreement'sarbitrationprovision.Insupportofitsmotion,theTeamstatesasfollows:
PRELIMINARYSTATEMENT
Thisactionseekstoremedyanextraordinaryandpossiblyunprecedentedbreachofcontract-aprofessionalsportsleague,withoutfollowinganyoftheparties'agreeddisputeresolutionprocedures,hasunilaterallyattemptedtoterminatetheownershipofaprofessionalsportsfranchisethat,onlyninemonthsearlier,literallysavedthatleaguefromextinction,andthenbecametheLeague'smostpopulardrawingcard.ItisnocoincidencethattheLeaguehasattemptedtohijackSouthFlorida'shistory-makingprofessionalwomen'ssoccerfranchisejustatatimewhenthesportofwomen'ssoccerhasspikedinpopularity,followinglastyear'shighlypublicizedWomen'sWorldCup,whichwillbefollowedin2012bytheSummerOlympicGamesinLondon.TheLeaguenowdemonstratesitsbadfaith,and,forthesecondtimeinthreemonths,andafterhavingbeensuedforthreateningtodosothefirsttime,purportstohaveterminatedtheTeamincompletedisregardoftheparties'agreedmulti-stepdisputeresolutionprocedure-whichstepsincludeanoticeofdispute;ahearingbeforetheLeague'sBoardofGovernors;mediation;andarbitration-setforthintheLeague'sownLLCAgreementandOperatingAgreement,whichrequirethattheseproceduresbecompleted
inadvanceof
anypurportedtermination.Further,thepurportedterminationcomesjustatthetimethattheTeamwaspreparingtore-signmanyofthestarplayersthatplayedforitinitsinauguralseasoninSouthFlorida,includingsevenmembersoftheUnitedStatesWomen'sNationalTeamthatwasthedarlingofthe2011Women'sWorldCup,includingtwoofthemostpopularwomen's
-2-
playersintheworld,NationalTeammembersAbbyWambach,theTeam'splayer/coachin2011,andHopeSolo,thegoalkeeperwhorecentlystarredintelevision'spopularprimetimetelevisionprogram,"DancingWiththeStars."Accordingly,animmediateinjunctionisneededtopreventtheLeaguefromexcludingtheTeamfromtheLeague'splayersigningprocess,whichbeganonNovember9,2011,andtogivetheTeamtheopportunitytore-signitsstarplayers,asitintendedtodo,andtopreventtheLeaguefromcausingfurtherirreparableharmtotheTeambytakinganyactioninfurtheranceofitsimpropertermination,pendingthepromptcompletionofallfourstepsofthedisputeresolutionprocesstowhichthatthepartiescontractuallyagreed.Otherwise,theTeam'smembershipinterestintheLeague,includingtheimmeasurablegoodwillassociatedtherewith,willbetotallydestroyed.Absentsuchinterimrelief,thedisputeresolutionprocessthatthepartiesagreedtowillberenderedanullity,andSouthFloridaanditsmillionsofsoccerfanswillbedeprivedoftheopportunitytowatchtheirlocalprofessionalsoccerteam,whichincludesseveralnationalrolemodelsandheroes,justastheTeamanditsplayershavebecomeintegratedintothefabricoftheSouthFloridacommunity.Further,theTeamhadeveryintentionofre-signingitsmostpopularplayers,manyofwhichareconsideredamongtheworld'sbest,fortheupcoming2012season.Thislawsuitandrequestforspecificperformanceoftheparties'disputeresolutionprocedures,andforimmediateinjunctiverelieftopreventfurtherirreparabledamagetothegoodwillassociatedwiththeTeam,arisesoutoftheLeague'spurportedOctober25,2011terminationoftheTeam,withoutfollowinganyoftheparties'agreeddisputeresolutionprocedures,andfollowsalawsuitfiledbytheTeam,theoperatorsofBocaRaton's"magicJack"professionalwomen'ssoccerfranchise,againsttheLeague(theWomen'sProfessionalSoccer-3-
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