Kessler family shapes NFL labor battles for decades

The Kessler family's influence on professional football spans generations, with Jeffrey Kessler serving as the NFL Players Association's lead counsel since 1989 and his son Andrew Kessler working as an NFL player agent at Athletes First. Their careers have intersected at pivotal moments in league history, including the 2011 lockout when Andrew's infant son Jordan was named as a party to the settlement because Jeffrey could not be present in person. Jeffrey's legal career began in the 1960s, inspired by athlete activists like Muhammad Ali and Bill Russell, and he initially worked on basketball cases before moving to football. He joined the firm during the Robertson v. National Basketball Association case, and his social philosophy drove him to use antitrust laws to help players he believed were economically exploited. Andrew's path into sports law was influenced by witnessing his father and partner Jim Quinn work on McNeil v. The NFL in 1992, which established free agency. He interned at the NBPA during the summers of 1998 and 1999, starting on the basketball side before transitioning to football. The father-son duo have collaborated on strategy, with Andrew providing insights from the agent perspective while Jeffrey handles the legal framework of collective bargaining agreements. Their work has involved named plaintiffs like Von Miller, Chuba Hubbard, and DeWayne Carter, who joined lawsuits primarily to help the broader player group rather than for personal gain. The family maintains close communication about their careers, even during personal time like vacations, demonstrating how deeply sports law is woven into their lives. Jeffrey's commitment to player rights stems from his belief that athletes were historically exploited, and he has dedicated his career to correcting that imbalance through legal means. Andrew, recognizing his own athletic limitations, chose to work in sports from the management and representation side, building on the foundation his father established. Together, they represent a unique dynasty in sports law, bridging the gap between legal advocacy and player representation in the NFL.