(EXCLUSIVE) NFL’s Von Miller Caught Between Sports Agent Drama

Von Miller Caught Between Sports Agent Drama

theJasmineBRAND.com exclusively reports, NFL star Von Miller is at the center of a nasty legal battle between two sports agents with one accusing the other of trying to steal his clients and spreading lies about him in the sports community — and now he is demanding damages for his reputation being trashed.

John Marshall Branion III

Sports agent John Marshall Branion III filed suit against fellow agent Carmen Wallace and Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports.

Carmen Wallace

Branion explains he helped Wallace become the agent he is today and was his mentor for a period of time. They worked at Athletes First in 2011 where Branion says he made sure Wallace had a position. They worked together at the agency until 2014.

He taught Wallace,

how to serve clients, helped Wallace form relationships with NFL players and advised and mentored Wallace through the process of becoming an NFLPA certified contract advisor.

Then, Branion says he resigned from the company and launched his own agency, Vanguard Sports Group. Prior to his departure, he removed his name from dozens of SRA’s aka contracts for Clay Matthews, Miles Austin and Carson Palmer and numerous other players — without being asked by the company or players.

He points out at the time he was listed as NFL star Von Millers sole certified contract advisor and Miller never demanded it be changed. Branion then tried to help out Wallace and offered to put his name on the SRA’s of Miller and 3 other players. However, he said that the deal was that Wallace would not be paid any fees but could publicly claim Miller as his client.

Von Miller

Branion adds he,

stated that Wallace would be permitted to claim publicly Miller as a client, including on the AF website, and Wallace would be able to continue to receive fees from Miller in connection with the non-exclusive marketing agreement already in place between AF (Wallace) and Miller. Branion told Wallace that Branion, too, would enter into a non-exclusive marketing agreement with Miller and assured Wallace that Branion and Wallace could work together to maximize Miller’s marketing opportunities and, hopefully, help Von make significant money over and above his compensation for playing football.

Then, Branion accuses Wallace of going behind his back and contacting Miller to convince the NFL star to make Branion pay 50% of the fees payable under the SRA to Wallace and claimed to Miller that Branion had approved this decision. Miller told Wallace to work out that issue between the two of them.

On October 8, 2014, Miller signed the currently-operative SRA listing Branion and Wallace as his certified contract advisors. Wallace and Miller also signed a non-exclusive marketing agreement providing for payment of a 20% fee to Wallace for obtaining endorsements and other agreements subject to the marketing agreement.

In early 2016, Miller and his father in the midst of working out a deal with the Denver Broncos decided Branion would take control of the negotiations and says,

Branion in fact did conduct all of the negotiations with the Denver Broncos on behalf of Miller which resulted in Miller becoming the highest paid defensive player in the history of the NFL. Wallace played no material role in those negotiations, only performing essentially clerical tasks and keeping Miller apprised, at Branion’s direction, of the status of the negotiations.

However, Wallace allegedly interfered with the negotiations. According to the complaint, Miller decided to pay Branion a 100% of the 3% fee he is owed from the deals signed. However, Wallace lied to the Miller’s and said he was owed money and also that Branion was facing sanctions from the NFLPA and was facing suspension.

Von Miller

Further, after he reassigned from AF and during the time he was helping Wallace, his protégé once again violated the rules and contacted NFL player Melvin Ingram – who Branion represented – and induced him to terminate his deal with Branion. Wallace then took Ingram to Roc Nation Sports and worked out a deal with them for representation

He is suing for defamation and demanding actual, compensatory, and exemplary and punitive damages.

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