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Brown as the second successor voting trustee. It also stated
that, if Peter Brown became the sole voting trustee, the
remaining parties would continue to have the voting trust and
would deposit their Bengals shares with the second successor
voting trustee.4
F. NFL Constitution and Bylaws Relating to a Sale of an
Interest in an NFL Team
The NFL's constitution and bylaws (as in effect in 1983)
required anyone wanting to sell an interest in an NFL team to
apply in writing to the NFL Commissioner, and required the
Commissioner to submit the application to NFL members for
approval. Approval required a vote of three-quarters, or 20,
whichever is more, NFL members. Approval was not required for
transfers to members of the immediate family of the owner of the
interest by gift or upon the death of the owner of the interest.
No written request was submitted to the NFL to approve the
1983 transfer of 117 shares of Bengals stock from Paul Brown to
Sawyer. The Bengals informed the NFL sometime before September
1983 that Sawyer had bought Paul Brown's 117 shares. The
Commissioner did not ask the other NFL owners to approve the
4 On May 7, 1990, Paul, Mike, and Peter Brown, Sawyer,
William J. Williams, Louis Nippert, Harriette Downey, Samuel L.
Barr, Jr., West Shell, Jr., and John Downey agreed to irrevocably
extend the 1980 voting trust for 10 years. The agreement named
Paul Brown voting trustee, Mike Brown successor voting trustee,
and Peter Brown second successor voting trustee.
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