United States Football League founder Donald Dixon was a strong proponent of a USFL franchise in Washington, D.C., and insisted on one despite the dominance of the National Football League′s Washington Redskins in the Washington market. Real estate magnate Marvin Warner originally was slated to own the Federals, but when the USFL announced it was fielding a team in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama – the team which became the Birmingham Stallions – Warner opted to take that franchise instead. The USFL then turned to prominent Washington attorney Berl Bernhard. He stood atop a murky ownership structure. The franchise was held by a limited partnership, Washington Football Partners, which was organized in the District of Columbia on August 20, 1982, with Bernhard's Capital City Sports Management as general partner. In turn, Washington Football Partners was owned by a joint venture that was operated by three corporations.