Sonics raise claim of 'unseemly alliance'
By GREG JOHNS
P-I REPORTER

The ongoing legal saga between the Sonics and city of Seattle took a new twist Friday with the team's lawyers filing papers claiming "an unseemly alliance" between the K&L Gates law firm, developer Matt Griffin and the city.

K&L Gates, hired by Mayor Greg Nickels to represent the city in its court battle with the Sonics' Oklahoma ownership group, also was representing Griffin as he worked with the city in an attempt to put together a $300 million KeyArena remodel project in conjunction with Microsoft chairman Steve Ballmer, Costco CEO Jim Sinegal and software mogul John Stanton.

In their latest motion, the Sonics lawyers renewed previous charges that the city's lawsuit over the KeyArena lease is part of a plan designed to force a sale to Griffin's group instead of merely solving a dispute over the lease's specific performance clause.

"Particularly based on over a thousand additional documents Griffin just produced, it is clear that the plan from the start was to use this litigation to create financial bleeding for the (Pro Basketball Club) to force them to sell to Griffin's group," the motion says.

"This scheme was jointly developed by the City, Griffin and K&L Gates, which until just a few weeks ago represented both the City and the Griffin group."

Sonics raise claim of 'unseemly alliance'