If you’ve been following the major legal battles reshaping the worlds of sports, tech, and media, chances are Sathya Gosselin is a name you know. A partner at the powerhouse plaintiffs’ firm Hausfeld, Gosselin isn’t just litigating the future of antitrust law – he’s helping define it.
Over the past two decades, Gosselin has been at the center of some of the most consequential cases in recent memory. As trial counsel in O’Bannon v. NCAA, in 2014, he helped secure a landmark ruling that forever changed the landscape of college athletics, delivering long-term name, image, and likeness recognition and revenues to student-athletes and negotiating a settlement with Electronic Arts over the unauthorized use of player likenesses. More recently, in 2024, he served as trial counsel in the NFL Sunday Ticket litigation, where a jury awarded $4.7B in damages to subscribers in an antitrust challenge against the NFL and its teams concerning their refusal to compete over out-of-market telecasts – the case is currently under appeal after judgment as a matter of law for the NFL.
Whether tackling monopolistic practices in professional sports, advocating for excluded competitors in the technology space, or litigating high-stakes commercial cases, Gosselin has earned a reputation for sharp strategy, technical precision, and quiet force in the courtroom.
“I try to stay laser-focused on client goals and court guidance,” says Gosselin. “If I’ve done my job well, the briefs are crisp and persuasive, the oral arguments are compelling, the cross-examinations are revealing, and the client is happy.”
Based in Hausfeld’s Washington, D.C. office, Gosselin brings a boutique-style, hands-on approach to litigation, working closely with specialized teams to deliver results at both trial and appellate levels. His expertise spans antitrust, commercial, and sports and entertainment law – but his impact extends far beyond the courtroom.
“From the beginning, I’ve been interested in solving problems, helping injured people and businesses, combating abuse and injustice, and forging deep relationships in the profession, all aims that guide my practice daily," says Gosselin.
A recognized thought leader and trusted voice in the legal community, Gosselin also wears many hats within Hausfeld: Conflicts & Compliance Partner, head of U.S. attorney training, co-lead of U.S. marketing strategy, and mentor to the next generation of trial lawyers. He’s active in the firm’s Global Business Development team, DEI Committee, and Disability Rights Working Group.
Lawdragon: What was your career trajectory? Did you come straight to Hausfeld after law school?
Sathya S. Gosselin: I arrived at law school having worked with a number of great public-interest legal organizations: I was the Deputy Director of the ACLU of Texas’s Prison and Jail Accountability Project, an intern with the Political Asylum Project of Austin, and (later, as a law student) an extern with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and the Texas Civil Rights Project. My goal was to do good in the world with my law degree, with a special emphasis on underserved communities.
Early in law school, I became interested in public interest law firms that, at least at that time, were rarely a focus for career development offices: plaintiff-side class action firms that did a mix of antitrust, human rights, and civil rights litigation. After much research, I spent a summer working at Hausfeld’s predecessor law firm, witnessing my future mentor Michael Hausfeld in court – and I was hooked. I joined Hausfeld in 2009, just after the firm launched, and was absorbed from the start. A group of smart, tough, and compassionate litigators achieving record recoveries for consumers while growing an international business? Sign me up!
Whether it’s algorithmic price-fixing, the relationship between AI and authors and content providers, or monopolization challenges to Big Tech firms – technology is a central theme in my practice and the firm’s work globally.
LD: Did you always know you wanted to be a litigator?
SG: I am not someone who always wanted to be a litigator, and I think my diversity of interests has made me a well-rounded litigator. I studied religion in college, am passionate about electronic music and the great outdoors, and strive daily to keep a sense of curiosity and adventure, inside and outside of my work life.
LD: Of all the work you've done in your career so far, what case stands out as particularly memorable for you?
SG: I’ve been fortunate to work on some very big cases with great outcomes for our clients. Without question, our landmark O’Bannon v. NCAA antitrust litigation stays with me. Guided by client luminaries Ed O’Bannon, Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson – among many others – Hausfeld took on the NCAA and its decades-long refusal to share revenues with college athletes despite the commercial use of their names, images, and likenesses. And we won. Along the way, I built lasting relationships with our clients, college athlete allies and advocates, professors and academic researchers, sports journalists, and dozens of co-counsel. I tried my first big case and was able to learn from veteran trial lawyers as we sustained our victory through numerous appeals. Memorably, I learned of our bench trial victory while on my honeymoon abroad.
LD: What trends are you seeing in antitrust litigation these days? Has the new administration brought any changes that are affecting your work so far?
SG: Technology, technology and technology. Whether it’s algorithmic price-fixing, the relationship between AI and authors and content providers, or monopolization challenges to Big Tech firms – technology is a central theme in my practice and the firm’s work globally. And we have seen that same focus at the DOJ and FTC in recent years, across administrations.
LD: Interesting. You've worked on a number of high-profile cases and are frequently quoted in news outlets. What is your approach when it comes to the 'court of public opinion'?
SG: Outside of my client matters, I enjoy sharing my perspective on larger trends, case developments, and rulings when asked. And I consider myself fortunate to work in a field that attracts so much public interest.
LD: That’s great! What do you appreciate about Hausfeld as a platform for the work you do?
SG: The creativity, the shared values, and the comradery. I’ve worked with many of my partners for almost two decades, and I continue to learn from each of them as we advance our vision of economic and social justice. From the very beginning, Hausfeld entrusted me with a great deal of responsibility and freedom – to pursue novel and cutting-edge case theories, to take “first chair” with guidance and encouragement, to create community inside and outside of the firm. I try to mirror that mentoring and encouragement with the younger lawyers that I now have the privilege of working with.
Beyond my casework, Hausfeld has also given me the opportunity to take on leadership roles that reflect various other passions of mine – serving as our Conflicts and Compliance Partner, leading professional development across our U.S. attorney group, helping shape our U.S. marketing efforts, and contributing to our global business development coordination. My days are never the same, which keeps me engaged.
LD: How would you describe your style as a litigator?
SG: The litigators I admire most speak softly and carry a big stick. They engage with adversaries in a friendly but firm way, without bluster, and are confident in their abilities as advocates and counselors. I’ve tried to emulate those qualities, avoiding unnecessary animus and focusing instead on the bigger picture: trial someday, dispute resolution where prudent, and how the judge might view intermediate disputes along the way.
