Ex-client sues law firm Farella for fees in international swimming case
By Mike Scarcella
Jan 2 (Reuters) - A Swiss sporting venture is suing its former U.S. law firm for more than $7 million, accusing it of shoddy legal work and overbilling in an ongoing case against the world's governing body for competitive swimming.
The Zurich-based International Swimming League and its founder Konstantin Grigorishin sued Farella Braun + Martel on Dec. 30 in San Francisco Superior Court, alleging professional negligence, unfair business practices and other claims.
The complaint said San Francisco-based Farella misled the league and overbilled it for work on its antitrust case against World Aquatics, the governing body for swimming that controls national federations like USA Swimming.
The lawsuit asked for an order forcing Farella to return at least $7.2 million in legal fees and to declare that the league does not owe anything to the firm.
Lawyers at Farella and attorneys for the league did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday. The league did not immediately respond to a similar request.
Farella, founded in 1962, employs more than 100 lawyers. Its clients have included Google, Visa and Dell.
The International Swimming League hired the firm in 2018 for a pair of lawsuits accusing World Aquatics of unlawfully boycotting the league’s push in 2017 to enter the pro swimming market.
According to the Dec. 30 lawsuit against the firm, Farella also signed on to represent a proposed class of swimmers in the antitrust litigation without consent.
Farella is no longer representing plaintiffs in either case.
The league is now represented by a team from Paul Weiss including William Isaacson. The swimmers' legal team includes Jeffrey Kessler of Winston & Strawn.
Farella said in an October court filing in the antitrust case that it had imposed an attorney lien on the league for any unpaid fees and expenses owed to the firm.
The International Swimming League and the swimmers' cases are pending after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals revived the litigation in September. A status hearing in the trial court is scheduled for February.
The case is International Swimming League et al v. Farella Braun + Martell et al, San Francisco Superior Court, No. CGC-24-621032.
For plaintiffs: Mark Wilson and Joseph Miceli of Klein & Wilson
For defendants: No appearance yet
Read more:
Legal Fee Tracker: Settlements spur big fee awards, with more to come in 2025
Legal Fee Tracker: Meta case yields Texas-size fees as more firms ink state contracts
Legal Fee Tracker: China's Irico faces fee award plus damages in price-fixing case
Legal Fee Tracker: Lawyers eye $700 million payout in latest Blue Cross settlement
(Reporting by Mike Scarcella)
((Mike.Scarcella@thomsonreuters.com;))
Related Articles
3 Reasons Why Palantir Stock Keeps Going Up and Up
Key PointsPalantir has already doubled in 2025, and shares are up more than 1,000% since 2023. Revenue growth has steadily accelerated over the last two years, and operating margins have expanded.The company is winning new contracts with the Trump administration.10 stocks we like better than...
U.S. GDP, PCE, and Fed Rate Decision Commentary: Will U.S. Stocks Continue to Rise?
TradingKey - On 30–31 July 2025, the United States released its latest GDP and PCE data, while the Federal Reserve announced its interest rate decision during the same period.
What to Expect From Meta Q2 Earnings: AI Push, Ad Strength — But Can Profitability Hold?
TradingKey - Meta Platforms (META), the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, will release its Q2 2025 earnings after the U.S. market close on Wednesday, July 30. After nine consecutive quarters of beating expectations, analysts expect another strong performance — driven by AI-powered
Ethereum Price Prediction: Will ETH Extend the Rally? What’s the Future Trend?
Ethereum's impressive 2025 rally has been largely fueled by inflows from spot ETFs and a surge in institutional holdings, signaling growing confidence in its role as a core asset in the crypto market. However, to officially confirm the start of a new bull cycle, ETH must break above the critical $4,
Japanese Stocks: Strategic Differences Between Short-Term and Long-Term Approaches
TradingKey - Following significant gains in 2023 and 2024, we anticipate that the Japanese stock market will enter a period of volatility and consolidation. This outlook stems from two opposing forces. On the positive side, Japan's improving economic fundamentals are driving wage growth and...
