Barnes & Thornburg Helps Sailing Team Defeat Rival’s Bid to Block ‘American Magic’ Branding

The two teams compete in SailGP, a global professional sailing league in which each country is represented by a single team under a “one country, one team” model. U.S.-based investor Doug DeVos purchased the Danish SailGP team, ROCKWOOL Racing, through his American Magic sailing management group in January 2026.

USA SailGP filed suit against the Danish team and DeVos, alleging that after DeVos declined to acquire the U.S. team, he purchased the Danish team instead, and the American Magic branding used by the Danish team is causing marketplace confusion and violates the league’s exclusive territorial rights requirements.  

On April 8, 2026, Chancellor Kathaleen St. McCormick rejected USA SailGP’s motion for a temporary restraining order that would have immediately blocked the Danish team from using the disputed branding. 

The legal team included partner Chad Stover and counsel Brian Auerbach from Barnes & Thornburg, as well as attorneys from Miller Johnson Snell & Cummiskey.