A former aide to Supreme Court Justices John Roberts Jr. and Brett Kavanaugh, D. Zachary Hudson, has now emerged as one of the highest-paid company lawyers within the United States’ gaming industry. After working with the influential casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson, Hudson’s career trajectory stratospherically soared.
Hired as the global general counsel for the Las Vegas Sands Corp, Hudson’s compensation for fiscal 2023 reached approximately $12 million, according to a recent proxy filing. Interestingly, the composition of his pay package includes stock and options awards totalling to an estimated $9.3 million. These are set to mature over time, ensuring Hudson’s retention in the corporation at least up until 2029.
Prior to joining Las Vegas Sands, Hudson held the position of general counsel for Afiniti International Holdings Co. Ltd., an organisation specialising in AI and software. His legal experience also spans nearly five years spent in private practice at Bancroft, a litigation boutique based in Washington. Notably, Bancroft was later acquired by Kirkland & Ellis.
In addition to working with industry giants, Hudson also spent more than three years serving in the US Navy prior to his graduation from Yale Law School in 2009. His roles included the position of lieutenant and assistant engineer on the USS Santa Fe, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine.
Coming to the business front of Las Vegas Sands, there appears to be signs of shifting strategies. The company, after divesting its hotels in Las Vegas in a move riveting towards Asia, has been slow in adopting the rapidly growing US sports betting market. However, by backing referendums to broaden the scope of sports betting and finalizing a $3.5 billion acquisition of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, signs point to a potential business shift.
Another intriguing highlight of Hudson’s disclosure was his pay package superseding the compensation levels of top lawyers at rival operations. For example, MGM Resorts International’s chief legal officer, John McManus, reported earning more than $4.5 million in 2023, per an early proxy filing. The same year, Wynn Resorts Ltd. general counsel Ellen Whittemore earned just over $4.5 million, according to the organization’s own proxy.
These comparisons signal Hudson’s soaring corporate status within the gaming industry’s top earners. Considering the direction of Las Vegas Sands’ recent business strategies, one might anticipate Hudson playing a significant role in them.