From ‘Omaha’ to New York, Lawyers Land Roles Ahead of NFL Season

The National Football League’s 105th season began Thursday night with key lawyers in new places, including the NFL’s broadcast partners.

Omaha Productions LLC, a media startup led by former star quarterback brothers Peyton and Eli Manning, has appointed Jennifer Yuen as senior director of business and legal affairs. The company was valued last year at more than $400 million and is looking to do more legal work internally amid a string of content deals. The first of 11 ManningCast broadcasts on ESPN this NFL season, which will also feature former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, is set for Monday.

Yuen became Omaha’s first in-house lawyer in June, according to a company spokesperson. She joined from Entertainment One, a Lionsgate Studios Corp.-owned film and television subsidiary.

Yuen will work with Omaha’s head of business development and affairs Heather Scheer, an attorney who has two decades of experience in business and legal affairs roles at Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN and Paramount Global’s MTV Networks. A job listing for Yuen’s role gave a salary range of up to $225,000 per year.

Barnes & Thornburg partner Bryan Thompson has represented Peyton Manning and Omaha, which takes its name from an audible call by the Manning brothers during their playing days, in various entertainment, music, and sports deals.

The new season kicks off as the NFL looks to replace longtime general counsel L. Jeffrey Pash, who is set to retire. The league reportedly has retained Russell Reynolds Associates to assist in the search.

Several of the league’s 32 teams have also adjusted their own legal staffs in the run up to the new season.

Green Bay Packers: The storied franchise is poised to elevate Edward Policy, general counsel and chief operating officer, to chief executive officer in July 2025. A Packers spokeswoman said the team hasn’t decided on a successor to Policy, son of longtime NFL executive and attorney Carmen Policy. The Packers also hired associate counsel Kelly Krause in April.

New York Giants: Big Blue, under new legal leadership, named an associate counsel this month in Hannah Bobek, who just graduated from Fordham University’s law school. Bobek had most recently been an intern with the Giants, whose chief executive and president John Mara is also a Fordham law graduate.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs found a familiar face to replace former legal chief Daniel Malasky last month in Cassie McBride. She had been an associate counsel for the club a decade ago before going on to work for the Jacksonville Jaguars and NHL’s San Jose Sharks. McBride has spoken about juggling duties and networking to move straight from law school into the sports industry.

Carolina Panthers: The David Tepper-owned NFL team secured $650 million in public money over the summer to help fund a $1.3 billion renovation of its home stadium in Charlotte. The club also hired two new associate counsel for Tepper’s sports and entertainment holding company in Jasmine Butler and Reginald Woods II. The latter interned for the team and the Creative Artists Agency, while Butler was a lawyer—and author—in Pennsylvania.

Tennessee Titans: The team, which has been busy in recent years recruiting lawyers to its in-house ranks, in April promoted Valeria Williams to general counsel. Williams, prior to joining the Titans as an associate general counsel in 2022, spent almost four years working at NFL headquarters. She takes over from Daniel Werly, who became COO for the Titans last year.

Washington Commanders: Kirtan Mehta, a former senior counsel for global public policy at Robinhood Markets Inc., joined the team in April as its new head of public affairs. Mehta’s move to the club, now under new ownership, comes as the Commanders ratchet up their efforts to secure a new stadium in the Beltway region. Josh Harris, a billionaire and co-founder of Apollo Global Management Inc. who bought the Commanders last year, pushed NFL teams to adopt new rules last month allowing private equity investments.

Seattle Seahawks: Former intern Yuxuan “Alice” Men rejoined the home of the 12th man earlier this year as counsel after working for Redmond, Wash.-based automotive lidar and sensor company MicroVision Inc.

QB Looks to Big Law

The Chicago Bears recently recruited two new lawyers as they push forward with plans for a new stadium. The franchise also has grabbed attention for its undefeated preseason under rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

Williams, the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, negotiated with the Bears for months while law firm Loeb & Loeb—not an agent—worked out the details on a four-year, fully guaranteed $39.5 million contract that included a $25.5 million signing bonus. Among the reported unsuccessful asks by Williams was for him to be paid as a limited liability company, potentially to avoid Illinois income taxes.

Brian Socolow, co-chair of Loeb & Loeb’s sports practice, declined to discuss his firm’s representation of Williams. Loeb & Loeb’s website touts its work on behalf of the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. That includes setting up his nonprofit Caleb Cares Foundation, which focuses on anti-bullying initiatives. Williams has also launched his own Beverly Hills, Calif.-based investment firm called 888 Midas LLC.

Loeb & Loeb’s other athletic clients include former NFL stars Tony Gonzalez and Reggie Bush—the latter a USC alum like Williams—and current and former professional basketball players such as Julius Randle, John Wall, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, Chet Holmgren, Derrick Rose, and Allen Crabbe.