Atlanta Spirit Members Try To Hurry Appeal On Belkin Ruling

Atlanta Spirit Partners Look To Push Up Steve Belkin Appeal

Members of Atlanta Spirit, the group that owns the Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena operating rights, have asked the Maryland Court of Appeals to hear their case against co-Owner Steve Belkin “earlier than it ordinarily would ‘not just because of the important legal issues presented (but also because) these two major professional sports teams are operating under a cloud of uncertainty that hurts the teams, their players, fans, employees and management, as well as the NBA and NHL,’” according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. Atlanta Spirit co-Owners Bruce Levenson, Ed Peskowitz, Michael Gearon Jr. and Rutherford Seydel are appealing a June ruling by Montgomery County (MD) Circuit Court Judge Eric Johnson that Belkin “has the right to buy them out at cost because they missed various deadlines in a contract to buy him out.” The Court of Appeals is “expected to decide within about 60 days whether to take the case or leave it to the Court of Special Appeals.” Belkin in an e-mail declined comment on the appeal (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/12).