UEFA Hires Top US Lawyer Amid Legal Battle Over FIFA World Cup Sell-Off

UEFA has hired Andrew Levander, a former chair of the U.S. law firm Dechert, to lead potential legal action against FIFA regarding President Gianni Infantino’s failed attempt to sell a stake in a commercial entity.

The dispute centers on the Fifa Forward Enterprise plan, a proposal to raise $4.2 billion by selling approximately 20 per cent of the vehicle. FIFA initially claimed the move would treble payouts to its 211 member associations.

US Jurisdictional Leverage and the Role of Dechert

UEFA selected a U.S.-based firm to gain jurisdictional leverage for its probe and any subsequent litigation. Andrew Levander has been with Dechert since 2005 and served as the firm’s chair from 2011 until 2023.

Levander’s prior representation includes several prominent figures and entities:

• Former Barclays CEO Robert Diamond
• Former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain
• Outside directors of Lehman Brothers
• Michael Rigas
• The Special Board Committee of Apollo during a 2020-21 investigation into the relationship between Apollo’s founder and Jeffrey Epstein

Funding Sources and Third-Party Legal Notices

The $4.2 billion Fifa Forward Enterprise plan relied heavily on funding from Thrive Capital, a New York venture capital firm led by Joshua Kushner. Because of this financial connection, the legal reach of the dispute extends beyond FIFA officials.

Telegraph Sport reports that UEFA’s lawyers have also sent legal letters to the following entities and individuals:

• Joshua Kushner
• Thrive Capital
• Greg Maffei
• JP Morgan
• OpenEconomics

Context of FIFA’s US Legal Exposure

This is not the first instance of FIFA facing legal challenges within the United States. In 2015, the U.S.