News

Vince McMahon’s Long-Time Associate To Retire

By Lyle Kilbane • Published 6th July 2023
Vince McMahon WWE

Vince McMahon is losing one of his long-time closest associates as his lawyer Jerry McDevitt has announced he is retiring and withdrawing from WWE’s latest legal battle.

Jerry McDevitt has been the long-time lawyer for WWE and Vince McMahon but now it seems he is heading off to retirement.

McDevitt first began working with McMahon in the late eighties when he represented Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart in a case that saw the star acquitted of all charges following allegations of a fight with a flight attendant. Bigger battles were to come for both McDevitt and Vince McMahon as they took on the federal government and won the infamous steroid trial in the mid-nineties.

WWE is currently embroiled in an antitrust lawsuit with MLW and Wrestlenomics reported that McDevitt will no longer be representing WWE in that case as he heads to retirement. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Warton & Garrison LLP have taken over WWE’s defense in the case and the firm has recently been advising the company ahead of their pending merger with UFC.

McDevitt responded to Wrestlenomics via email and explained his decision to step away from the case:

“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.”

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MLW responded to the news on social media, noting that it had “just won its first retirement match.”