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Odell Beckham Jr., Nike Not Awarded Monetary Damages in Breach of Contract Court Case

Julia Stumbaugh

Neither Odell Beckham Jr. nor Nike were awarded damages after filing concurrent breach of contract lawsuits against the other party, Demi Lawrence reported for Portland Business Journal.

Beckham sued Nike in 2022 after being withheld royalties, which he claimed was a breach of contract. He was seeking $862,000 in damages, Lawrence reported.

Nike countersued for between $7 million and $15 million, according to Lawrence. The apparel brand claimed that Beckham breached his contract by customizing his gloves in ways that covered the Nike logo and by sharing details of the contract.

A circuit court jury in Oregon's Multnomah County on Thursday ruled that Nike did not breach contract with Beckham by withholding royalties, and that Beckham did not breach contract by customizing his gloves or sharing details of the contract, Lawrence reported.

Both Beckham and Nike responded to the jury's decision. Beckham wrote on his Instagram that "justice was served," while the apparel brand stated the company "complied with its commitments."

The legal conflict involved a 2017 endorsement deal Nike signed with Beckham after using first right of refusal to match an offer from Adidas. The contract was worth $47 million, Lawrence previously reported.

Beckham's lawyers claimed in court that Nike only began penalizing Beckham for glove violations ahead of his scheduled contract renewal in 2022, and that the brand allegedly offered to pay him the withheld royalties if he agreed to a "heavily reduced" contract, per Lawrence.

Nike then argued that Beckham's customizations had interfered with its ability to market its brand and that texts sent by Beckham and his team appeared to show them sending "confidential" contract terms to news outlets, Lawrence reported.

The jury deliberated for "a few hours" before deciding to award no damages to either side, according to Lawrence.

Both sides can now appeal the jury's decision, Michael McCann reported for Sportico. Beckham also claimed $20 million in additional damages that were dismissed by the jury on a motion for summary judgment and are now on appeal, Lawrence reported.

   

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