Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce face a lawsuit tied to their 1587 Prime steakhouse, but an intellectual property attorney says the case isn’t simply about who has the right to use the number “1587.”
1587 Sneakers, a shoe and apparel company that says it has used the name since 2023, sued Mahomes, Kelce and several corporate entities associated with 1587 Prime, alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition.
The steakhouse, which Mahomes and Kelce opened with hospitality group Noble 33 in Kansas City, combines the Chiefs stars’ jersey numbers — Mahomes’ No. 15 and Kelce’s No. 87.
However, James Molen, a partner in Greenberg Glusker’s Intellectual Property Litigation and Sports practices who is not involved in the case, told Heavy that the immediate legal battle centers on a different question.
“At the current stage of the proceeding, this case isn’t the trademark fight most people assume it is — it’s a fight over how close two celebrity investors have to be to a business before a court can drag them into it personally,” Molen said.
Patrick Mahomes & Travis Kelce Ask Court to Dismiss 1587 Prime Lawsuit
The case is pending in the Southern District of New York, and no ruling has been made on the underlying allegations.
Mahomes and Kelce have moved to dismiss the lawsuit on three grounds, according to Molen. They argue the New York court lacks personal jurisdiction over them, that New York is the wrong venue and that the complaint fails to allege that either player personally committed an infringing act.
“Mahomes and Kelce’s primary argument is that they’re several corporate layers removed from the restaurant’s operating LLC and never personally touched a New York transaction, while the plaintiff says their jersey numbers are the mark, which makes them ‘moving forces’ by definition,” Molen explained.
Mahomes and Kelce also dispute the complaint’s assertion that they are members of the LLC operating the restaurant, according to Molen.
The defendants’ reply brief supporting their motion to dismiss is due September 1.
1587 Sneakers says it has been selling shoes under the name since April 2023. The company applied for the “1587” trademark in October 2025, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is still reviewing the application.
The company filed the 1587 Prime trademark application in December 2023. The two trademarks also apply to different types of businesses. The restaurant’s trademark covers restaurant and bar services, while 1587 Sneakers’ application covers clothing.
Legal Expert Reveals Why Lawsuit Could End Before Trademark Decision
Molen said the case could potentially be resolved without a judge ever deciding which side has the stronger trademark claim.
“While I can’t predict the outcome, here’s what’s worth watching: the athletes’ motion raises three separate grounds for dismissal — no personal jurisdiction, wrong venue, and failure to state a claim — and any one of those, if the court agrees, could result in dismissal,” Molen said.
He also pointed to the plaintiff’s response to those arguments as an issue to watch.
“But the plaintiff only really engages with the failure to state a claim, leaving the jurisdiction and venue arguments essentially unanswered,” Molen said. “That’s likely to come up in the athletes’ reply brief, and courts generally don’t look kindly on unaddressed arguments.”
That means the court could decide the lawsuit on what Molen called a “threshold issue” without reaching the larger trademark dispute.
Molen cautioned against dismissing 1587 Sneakers’ underlying complaint as frivolous, however.
“I wouldn’t call this case frivolous; a smaller company saying ‘we used this mark first and now we’re getting drowned out’ is the kind of dispute trademark law is built for,” he said.
Patrick Mahomes & Travis Kelce 1587 Lawsuit Isn’t What ‘Most People Assume,’ Legal Expert Says EXCLUSIVE