OPINION AND ORDER This action relates to two decisions by an arbitrator appointed by the Major League Baseball Players Association (“MLBPA”) that were rendered to settle an employment dispute between The Legacy Agency, Inc. (“Legacy”) and three of its former employees, Brodie Scoffield, Meghan Whelan, and Chris Amezquita. After Legacy filed a petition in the New York State Supreme Court to confirm the arbitrator’s award dated May 6, 2020 (“Award”) and subsequent clarification decision dated June 15, 2020 (“Clarification Decision”), the respondents removed the action to this Court and Scoffield filed a cross-petition to vacate the Award. The respondents filed an amended notice of removal on July 27, 2021, after the Court directed the parties to file supplemental submissions regarding the Court’s subject matter jurisdiction. The MLBPA filed an amicus brief in support of confirming the Award. Whelan and Amezquita do not oppose the Award’s confirmation. For the reasons that follow, Scoffield’s motion to vacate the Award is DENIED and Legacy’s motion to confirm the Award is GRANTED. I. The following facts are taken from the Petition, Cross-Petition, and the supporting exhibits and declarations filed by the parties and are undisputed unless otherwise noted.1 During the relevant time period, Legacy was a company that employed agents who represented major and minor league baseball players in contract negotiations. The MLBPA is a labor union that is recognized by Major League Baseball (“MLB”) and the multi-employer bargaining entity representing MLB clubs (“Clubs”) as the exclusive bargaining representative for all MLB players, pursuant to Section 9 of the National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. §159. The MLB and MLBPA have entered into a collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) that establishes certain minimum contract terms and requirements for all MLB players. Cross-Pet.
1-4. The CBA also authorizes individual MLB players to designate an agent (“Player Agent”) to assist or conduct the negotiation of an individual salary and any special covenants on the player’s behalf. Id. The disputes at issue in the Award and Clarification Decision arose when Scoffield became dissatisfied with his compensation at Legacy, resigned, and established a competitor company that quickly lured away several former Legacy clients. The disputes also involved Whelan and Amezquita, two other former employees of Legacy. Whelan assisted Scoffield with his work at Legacy and left to join Scoffield’s new firm shortly after Scoffield resigned. Pet.
