MANILA – Retired boxer Manny Pacquiao has emerged victorious from his three-year legal battle against Paradigm Sports Management (PSM), headed by its chief executive officer, Audie Attar.
In a decision on August 12, 2024 but only released publicly on Sunday, Judge Walter Schwarm of the Superior Court of the State of California County of Orange Central Justice Center issued a verdict favoring Pacquiao.
“The court finds for Mr. Pacquiao on the declaratory relief cause of action and declares the contract void due to illegality,” Schwarm ruled on the contract signed by Pacquiao to PSM.
Pacquiao’s US lawyer Atty. Jason Aniel said the eight-division world boxing champion was glad to hear the court’s final decision and thanked everyone who prayed for it to resolve the legal issue.
“We are pleased that the court made its final decision on the legal issues in Mr. Pacquiao’s favor,” Aniel said. “After hearing Paradigm Sports Management’s objections to the tentative decision, the court decided the contract that Paradigm sought to enforce Mr. Pacquiao was illegal as Paradigm was not properly licensed.”
“This decision negates the jury’s findings back in May of 2023. We thank the court’s time and effort in this matter. Mr. Pacquiao thanks his fans for their patience while the court fully resolved all the legal issues,” the lawyer added.
MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons, for his part, confirmed the latest documents from the Orange County, saying that the former senator did nothing wrong and the PSM’s contract was illegal.
“Manny Pacquiao has finally proven innocent. He did nothing wrong as the Superior Court of California has already announced its final statement of decision declaring that the contract offered by Paradigm was void due to illegality,” Gibbons said.
Pacquiao has completely vindicated after winning court’s final battle despite the US jury’s May 2023 first decision that ordered him to pay $5.1 million to PSM with $3.3 million for breach of contract and $1.8 million for breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
But the same judge found out that PSM was not licensed as a manager under the California law that nullified the jury’s early verdict and not reversed as reported earlier./PN
