Can One Foley Lawyer Keep The Bills In Buffalo?

After long-time team owner Ralph Wilson died in March, speculation has been rife that the Buffalo Bills NFL franchise may relocate. Though the team’s lease with Erie County may prevent the team from moving for many years, there are still rumors that an international group may buy the team, looking to move it to Los Angeles, London, or Toronto, where the team has played several ‘home’ games in recent seasons. To prevent the team from leaving, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has turned to Irwin Raij of Foley & Lardner, an experienced sports attorney one state official called New York’s “ringer” in the talks. Raij negotiated the Bills’ 10-year lease at the current stadium, set to run through 2023, was lead partner on the team that arranged the sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, and reportedly worked with other Foley lawyers to prevent the Milwaukee Bucks from relocating when that team was sold.