Jerry McDevitt No Longer Repping WWE in MLW Lawsuit, MLW Comments

WWE will be handling the rest of the lawsuit filed by MLW without Jerry McDevitt, who has announced his impending retirement. As has been reported, MLW is suing WWE alleging that the company violated the Sherman Act regarding anti-trust practices and more.

McDevitt told Wrestlenomics that he is no longer representing WWE in the antitrust lawsut and that lawyers from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Warton & Garrison LLP are instead taking over. The site reports that the firm filed today to represent WWE, with Walter Brown, Karen Dunn, William Michael, and Brette Tannenbaum listed as the attorneys.

McDevitt told the site by email:

As you may know, since early 2022 I have been working towards retirement. I had hoped that the Court would again dismiss MLW’s lawsuit as it did the first time. When it did not, and it became obvious that the case would run into at least 2025 in all probability, I advised my client that I would be wrapping things up by year-end and that it would make sense for them to secure counsel who can go the distance on the case now that discovery will be starting. There is also the chance that I might be a witness given the allegations. I will be 74 this January and it just seems like the right time to make necessary transitions.

We have worked with Paul[,] Weiss on other matters and they are an excellent firm who I will be helping get up to speed.

It has been a great 36-year run with a great Company and Vince [McMahon], and I am very proud of all that we accomplished during that time, and I will continue to help them any way I can.

McDevitt has represented Vince McMahon and WWE in for decades, going all the way back to 1987.

MLW has issued a cheeky response to the news, writing on Twitter:

“MLW just won its first retirement match.”

MLW just won its first retirement match. 🎉✌️

— MLW (@MLW) July 6, 2023