The Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars have asked the 15th Court of Appeals to send their legal dispute back to the Texas Business Court for dismissal, ending a yearlong dispute between the American Airlines Center’s two tenants.
“The Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars have reached an agreement that resolves the outstanding matters between the two organizations. The American Airlines Center will continue to serve as the home of both teams at least through the 2030-2031 season,” the Dallas Mavericks shared in a prepared statement.
The Mavericks filed suit against the Stars, seeking to enforce the terms of partnership contracts the teams signed nearly 25 years ago. The Mavericks claimed the hockey franchise breached its arena lease by relocating its primary headquarters outside Dallas’ city limits, which the Stars denied in a countersuit.
Texas Business Court Judge Bill Whitehill significantly trimmed the claims by granting summary judgment in April. He found that when the Stars moved to Frisco in 2003, the NHL team failed to comply with the “location commitment” in the agreement between the professional sports teams that required the teams to be headquartered in Dallas.
The opinion left the tortious interference claim for a jury trial. A week after the opinion was issued, the NBA franchise dropped its tortious interference claim, leaving only attorney fees to be decided. During mediation, the parties agreed to a total of $3.6 million in attorney fees, eliminating the need for a jury trial.
The Stars then sought guidance from the 15th Court of Appeals.
The joint motion states each party will bear its own costs of the appeal.
The Mavericks intend to build a new arena with an entertainment district on the site of the former Valley View Mall in Dallas. It is aiming to be ready for the 2031-32 men’s basketball season. The Stars are planning to build a new arena and entertainment district in Plano, replacing The Shops at Willow Bend, with completion targeted for 2031.
Chad Baruch and Robert Tobey of Johnston Tobey Baruch, Wallace Jefferson, Douglas Alexander, Kirsten Castaneda, Adam Shniderman of Alexander Dubose & Jefferson, and Joshua Sandler, Frank Carroll and John David Janicek of Winstead represented the Mavericks.
Chip Babcock, Chris Bankler, Minoo Blaesche and Sarah Starr of Jackson Walker represented the Stars.
The case number is 15-26-00117-CV.