Hogan Lovells announced that Jill Kelley has joined the firm's Corporate & Finance practice as a partner in the New York office. Kelley joins from the New York Jets, where she was General Counsel and Vice President of Legal Affairs.
 
James Doyle, Head of the Corporate & Finance practice at Hogan Lovells, said: “Jill further enhances our market-leading sports practice in the United States. In addition to her recent experience in the NFL, she also has considerable experience in sports betting and Native American tribal investment.”
 
While at the Jets, Kelley served for more than five years as a strategic advisor on legal matters and business strategy, data security and privacy, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
 
Prior to the Jets, Kelley was General Counsel at PointsBet USA, where she oversaw multinational transactions, including digital payment services, banking, SaaS and technology financing contracts, and sports league agreements. She also spent three years as Senior Legal Counsel for Foxwoods Resort Casino, owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and one of the largest gambling and gaming facilities in the world.
 
“From her time at the Jets, Jill has invaluable experience at the C-Suite level at one of the top ten most valuable sports assets in the world,” said Craig Umbaugh, Global Head of the Sports, Media and Entertainment Sector. “Her experience negotiating complex agreements across sports teams, stadiums, casinos, and gaming and technology companies, will benefit a wide range of clients operating in these vibrant and growing markets.”
 
Bill Curtin, Practice Area Lead – M&A at Hogan Lovells, added: “We have one of the leading global sports practices, having broken successive multi-billion-dollar valuation records in control acquisitions across multiple sports. We are excited that Jill is joining us to deepen our reputation as the go-to law firm for investors in the sector.”
 
Kelley follows a number of other Corporate & Finance lawyers who have joined the firm in New York in recent months, including Edward So and Natalie Edwards.
 
Michael Kuh, Office Managing Partner – New York, and a senior partner in the firm’s sports practice, said: “I am so pleased to welcome Jill to New York. She joins at an exciting time and I’m confident she’ll play an important role was we continue to expand here. Her business acumen in sports, as well as related experience in gaming and technology make her a great fit.”
 
Kelley said: “I’m thrilled to join Hogan Lovells and contribute to a team with a distinguished reputation in the sports sector, one of the strongest global platforms in law, and a truly collaborative ethos. With my experience, I’m excited to bring a diverse perspective to a group that’s not just advising on the future of the sports industry, but helping to shape it.”