Alumni Connection

Lisa Meyer, '14, Associate General Counsel, NBA Golden State Warriors

By Mike Riccobono '09

You might not think that former MLB superstars Tino Martinez, Ken Griffey, Jr., Larry Walker, and Mark McGwire have anything to do with Seton Hall Law, but after speaking with Lisa Meyer '14, Associate General Counsel of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, you'll understand how they do.

In fact, it was during Martinez's, Griffey's, Walker's, and McGwire's chase for MLB's single-season homerun record in 1997 when Lisa became fascinated with the application of statistical analysis to the game of baseball - a practice now commonly known as sabermetrics. Lisa's interest in sabermetrics initially led her to a statistics internship with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, and then a basketball operations internship with the NBA's Miami Heat, where her then-boss suggested she consider applying to law school.

While attending Seton Hall Law, Lisa continued working in the field of sports and entertainment as the legal intern for the internationally recognized boxing promoter Main Events and Amazon-owned audiobook company, Audible. During her final semester in law school, she obtained a full-time position with Main Events as Director of Business Affairs and later she was promoted to Vice President of Finance and General Counsel. Lisa then began working as Director of Business and Legal Affairs for Legends Hospitality, the former joint venture between MLB's New York Yankees and the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.

In her current role with the Warriors, Lisa's work includes handling risk management for the organization including all events hosted at Chase Center in San Francisco, CA, such as basketball games, e-sports competitions, concerts, and other sports and entertainment activities. With a relatively small in-house legal department, Lisa has to wear a lot of different hats, and she is constantly working to prioritize her many job duties and responsibilities - a skill she credits developing as a law student.

“I attended Law School at night while I was also working several jobs and internships. I had to learn quickly how to manage my time and utilize every waking hour of the day in the most efficient way possible. Now that I am working many of the Warriors' home games and Chase Center events, I've carried over those skills. I review contracts during the day, so I am prepared to put my risk management hat on at night and on weekends when I am on site before, during, and after the games and events at the arena.”

The aspect of her job that Lisa finds most rewarding is being able to see first-hand the product that she helped bring to fruition. “Working on the events-side of things, it's incredibly rewarding to actually see the game, competition, concert, or other event that my colleagues and I worked so hard to help put on at the arena. Depending on the event, this might include negotiating agreements for TV or radio rights, sponsorships, performers, logistics, vendors/suppliers, or a host of other event-related transactions.”

Lisa's best advice for those looking to pursue a career in the sports and entertainment industry, is to expose yourself to as many different aspects of the business as possible. “I've worked in roles in finance, public relations, operations, digital media, and many others. That experience has helped me to better serve the Warriors' organization wherever they may need me. I'll never know everything I need to know; I just have to know where to get the right answer. I really need to be a Jill of all trades. The more tools a lawyer has in their tool belt, the better,” Lisa said.

Although she currently lives outside San Francisco, Lisa has remained active with Seton Hall Law, including being a featured guest panelist at the Law School's annual Sports Law Symposium and serving on the Red Mass Committee. Outside of work, Lisa is also active in her community, and currently serves on the Board for Directors Gathering, a Philadelphia-based not-for-profit organization that offers theatre directors consistent community, resources, and elevation. Lisa is also an active concert-goer and can be found traveling the country attending shows by some of her favorite artists, including New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen!

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