Ohtani‘s Legal Team Alleges NIL misuse, Seeks Dismissal of Hawaii Real Estate lawsuit
HONOLULU – September 14, 2025 – Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, are seeking to dismiss a lawsuit alleging interference in a $240 million Hawaii real estate progress.The suit, filed August 8th in Hawaii Circuit Court, was brought by developer kevin J. Hayes Sr., real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto, West Point Investment Corp., and Hapuna Estates Property Owners. They claim Ohtani and balelo’s actions led to thier removal from the hapuna Coast project on the Big Island.
According to court filings submitted Sunday, Hayes and Matsumoto secured an endorsement agreement in 2023 granting them limited rights to use Ohtani’s name, image, and likeness to market the Mauna Kea resort development, holding a minority stake in the joint venture. Ohtani’s legal team contends that the plaintiffs then exploited Ohtani’s image to promote a seperate, unauthorized development project through their website.
“They engaged in this self-dealing without authorization, and without paying Ohtani for that use, in a selfish and wrongful effort to take advantage of their proximity to the most famous baseball player in the world,” lawyers for Ohtani and Balelo wrote in their filing. They assert Ohtani was a “victim of NIL violations.”
The dismissal request argues that Balelo acted appropriately when he raised concerns about the unauthorized use of Ohtani’s image and threatened legal action, characterizing his actions as “clearly protected speech.” The lawsuit, they claim, was filed in response to Balelo’s efforts to protect his client’s rights.
“Nez Balelo has always prioritized Shohei Ohtani’s best interests, including protecting his name, image, and likeness from unauthorized use,” a lawyer for Ohtani and Balelo stated. “This frivolous lawsuit is a desperate attempt by plaintiffs to distract from their myriad of failures and blatant misappropriation of Mr. Ohtani’s rights.”
Kingsbarn Realty Capital, the majority owner of the joint venture, previously dismissed the allegations as “completely frivolous and without merit.”
Lawyers for Hayes and Matsumoto have not yet responded to requests for comment. Ohtani, a three-time MVP, currently plays for the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
