Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
A mediation brief filed by noted motorsports attorney Arthur C. Chambers on behalf of Mat Mladin derailed AMA plans to hold an appeal board hearing at Mid-Ohio, insiders say.
Chambers filed the brief–basically a proposed solution to the problem–after AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth indicated that he was willing to look at a proposed settlement rather than face litigation.
Mladin has demanded that a $5000 fine and one point deduction leveled against him be rescinded, and that the AMA retract a press release that misrepresented what he said during a press conference at Loudon.
The press conference in question was tape-recorded, and the recording showed that Mladin’s comments were not accurately reported in an AMA press release on the matter.
If the AMA does not meet his demands, Mladin has said that he intends to do whatever it takes to gain exoneration.
Chambers, a former AMA racer who now only rides occasionally, first successfully faced off against the AMA about 25 years ago, when he represented CMC, a rival MX sanctioning body, after AMA officials threatened to suspend the licenses of any AMA riders who participated in CMC motocross races.
Chambers has represented various motorcycle racers and aftermarket firms over the years, as well as representing several CART car racers in contract disputes. Chambers’ motorcycle racing clients have included Performance Machine, Kosman Specialties, Factory Pro Tuning, Steve McLaughlin, the late Dale Singleton, Reg Pridmore and Rich Oliver, as well as John Ulrich and Roadracing World.
Besides motorsports cases, Chambers also has worked on several high-profile sexual harassment cases, including doing pre-trial work on a case against a San Francisco law firm, which resulted in a $12 million verdict in favor of the plaintiff. Chambers also prevailed in a series of sexual harassment cases against the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and recently won a substantial award in a case against Long’s Drug Stores involving the denial of the rights of teenage workers falsely accused of wrongdoing.