Cooper
Local lawyer Jeffrey Cooper stands to recover $3 million from a Missouri man who didn't carry out an agreement to buy Cooper's interest in the St. Louis Soccer Club.
Cooper sued Ryan Woods of St. Louis for breach of contract in Madison County circuit court on April 11, and Woods chose to concede the claim.
Circuit Judge Dennis Ruth entered judgment and set a June 8 hearing on citations to discover assets of Woods and his businesses.
According to Cooper's complaint, he and Woods entered into an agreement effective last October.
According to the complaint, Cooper agreed to sell his membership interest in the St. Louis Soccer Club to Gateway Sports, a company Woods owned.
The agreement called for Gateway to transfer $3 million to Cooper at closing but the transfer didn't happen, according to the complaint.
Cooper formerly teamed with John Simmons, in a firm bearing both names.
Cooper departed and devoted his energy to soccer.
In 2007, he convinced the Collinsville city council to support him in building a stadium where Interstate 55-70 crosses Interstate 270.
The council voted to impose a business district sales tax, an amusement tax, and taxes on hotels and parking.
The plan failed because Major League Soccer didn't grant a franchise.
In 2009, Cooper started a women's professional soccer team and bought St. Louis Soccer Park from Anheuser-Busch as a stadium site.
Later that year, Woods presented a stadium plan to the Richmond Heights city council.
He said he discussed it with Cooper and Cooper would consider it among other options.
The plan never advanced, and the agreement Cooper and Woods signed six months ago didn't pan out.
The St. Louis Soccer Club and the women's team have shut down.