the repub l i c o f sp o rts
Working for a professional football team presents unusual challenges where the power structure is not always top down and company decisions are not always based on his sage legal opinion, says Bill Heller
ed his father as president and CEO. The demands of running the
private practice. “Tackling an issue, being involved deeply with
team amidst the evolving legal complications of the NFL made
the client, finding solutions and successfully signing that big li-
Mara realize he needed someone else to fill the general counsel
censing agreement or resolving a dispute–I always found all of
role. Impressed by the work Heller had done for McCarter &
that very satisfying,” he says.
English, the firm the Giants had hired to oversee the details of
The Super Bowl ring in 2012, the same as the players’, was
naming rights for the Giants’ new state-of-the-art training facil-
nice, too. Yet working for a professional football team presents
ity, the Timex Performance Center, Mara invited him to lunch
unusual challenges where the power structure is not always top
on April 1, 2010. Heller was so excited about Mara’s offer to
down and company decisions are not always based on his sage
work for the team that he could hardly contain himself in the
legal opinion. For instance, Heller expressed concerns when the
restaurant, but when he called his sons immediately afterward
coaches wanted to give players electronic tablets with highly
from his car, they tamped down his enthusiasm. “ ‘Yeah, right,
confidential information–playbooks, game plans, access to
Dad,’ ” they chuckled. “ ‘April Fool’s.’”
team networks–on them. Those tablets could easily fall into the
But the offer proved to be no joke, and on October 1, 2010,
wrong hands. But the coaches wanted tablets, so the players got
Bill Heller became the New York Giants’ general counsel. He
tablets. “That’s one example of how football operations trump
had not made it to the NFL as a QB but he had as a J.D.
our legal experience,” Heller says.
The perceived perks of the position are sweeter than the ac-
Still, he’s a member of the New York Giants and, while his
tual job description. Heller’s former partners picture him arriv-
job, like any job, has its shortcomings (including lower pay than
ing at the office on Monday morning to hash over the weekend’s
private practice), he recognizes it’s a great job. When the team
game with head coach Tom Coughlin then strolling down the
was invited to the White House after winning Super Bowl XLVI,
hallway to discuss draft strategy with general manager Jerry
the front office staff waited outside the Oval Office while the
Reese. “That never happens,” Heller admits. “I’m in my office
players and coaches met with the President. Heller spotted Eric
practicing law.”
Holder Jr. and introduced himself. The attorney general of the
He’s in his Meadowlands office with a Penn Law coffee
United States jokingly asked Heller if he’d like to switch jobs.
cup on his desk–the mug’s blue and red colors serendipitously
No thank you, Heller replied seriously. I’m happy living this
matching his current employer’s–where he covers a variety of ar-
dream.
eas as the sole member of the team’s legal department. His duties
Jo h n Ro s e n g r e n i s t h e au t h o r o f H a n k G r e e n b e r g :
range from licensing and marketing arrangements to labor and
The Hero
of
Heroes.
employment issues. He oversees the legal aspects of operating MetLife Stadium, recently completing a green energy initiative, and Timex Performance Center. There is not a lot of litigation, but when there is it is of significant magnitude. He finds the rewards of his current work the same as those when he was in
P E N N L A W J O U R N A L s u m m e r 2 0 13 3 5