DraftKings hires legal heavy hitters to battle Schneiderman

DraftKings has hired some legal heavy hitters to help it fight state Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman’s attempt to shut down the popular fantasy sports gaming operation in New York.

David Boies and Jonathan Schiller, who have litigated numerous high-profile cases over several decades, have joined DraftKings' legal team, the company said in a statement Friday.

Boies might be best known as the attorney for Al Gore in the disputed 2000 presidential election, but he also has represented the NFL, the NBA, Sony, CBS and the New York Yankees over the past three decades. Schiller, Boies’ partner in their law firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner, has worked on many business and financial law cases, representing Goldman Sachs and Barclays Capital, among others.

In a statement, DraftKings said:

“Mr. Boies, Mr. Schiller and their team look forward to representing DraftKings, and joining their top flight legal team, which will work with the regulatory agencies, including the New York Attorney General, to resolve this dispute. A swift resolution would protect the rights of consumers and allow DraftKings players to continue to play the fantasy sports games so many people love."

On Tuesday, Schneiderman, a Democrat, sent a cease-and-desist to Boston-based DraftKings and New York-based FanDuel, saying the companies were violating state gambling laws and offered games of chance, not skill. The companies were given five days to respond.

New York isn’t the first jurisdiction to challenge the fantasy sports companies. Last month, Nevada became the first state to take action when its regulators determined that DraftKings and FanDuel were engaging in gambling and should stop doing business in the state.