AP News, December 21st, 2006
The father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams is liable but doesn't have to pay damages in a lawsuit that claimed he reneged on a deal for his daughters to play in an exhibition match, a jury ruled Thursday.
The dispute centered on whether Richard Williams had authority to commit his daughters to play in a 2001 "Battle of the Sexes" match that never took place. Venus and Serena Williams testified during the more than monthlong trial that only they have authority to approve contracts.
Venus Williams was also cleared of all allegations in the lawsuit, although the jury said Serena Williams let her father act as an agent for her. Neither sister had to pay damages.
Promoters Carol Clarke and Keith Rhodes, owners of a company called CCKR, brought the breach of contract lawsuit.
Richard Williams has acknowledged drawing up terms of the agreement with the promoters, but he insists he told them they would have to go through the IMG sports agency, which represents Venus and Serena, to complete any deal. The promoters say he made no such disclaimer.
Richard Williams also acknowledged that he lied to the promoters when he told them his daughters were aware of the negotiations.
Both sisters testified they knew nothing of the deal and would never have agreed to play in the match.
Despite the agreement with Richard Williams, the sisters' attorney, F. Malcolm Cunningham, noted to jurors in his closing arguments that neither Venus nor Serena signed anything.
Throughout the trial, attorneys for the promoters showed jurors tax returns that indicate payments to Richard Williams by his daughters for management fees, bolstering their contention that he had authority to sign contracts for them.
However, attorneys for the sisters and their father claimed the payments were mischaracterized for tax purposes and that Richard Williams is not their manager and was paid merely for coaching services.
The promoters sued the sisters, their father and his company, Richard Williams Tennis & Associates, for unspecified damages. They claimed the tournament could have made about $45 million, of which 80 percent was to go to Richard Williams' company. An initial trial last year ended in a mistrial.
