The National Football League’s Chicago Bears are recruiting expertise in the form of Krista Whitaker and Andrea Zopp, bringing them into the team’s in-house legal department. This move comes as the team strives to finalize its multibillion-dollar plan for a new stadium.
Whitaker has been named as the Executive Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs for the Bears. Having previously worked as a corporate associate at Proskauer Rose and the National Basketball Association’s Miami Heat, Whitaker brings a wealth of experience to her new role at the NFL franchise. The Bears announced the appointment on Tuesday.
Joining Whitaker is Andrea Zopp, the team’s new senior advisor for legal and business affairs. Zopp’s diverse career portfolio includes her stint as a former litigation partner at a Dentons predecessor, nearly two years as a deputy mayor of Chicago, and her current role as a managing partner of venture capital firm Cleveland Avenue LLC.
In their new roles, Whitaker and Zopp will work closely with Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren. He brought his substantial experience as a veteran sports industry lawyer and former of counsel at Greenberg Traurig when he joined the team last year.
Last month, the Bears took a crucial step in their quest to obtain a new home by pledging a $2 billion investment towards the replacement of their current home, the Soldier Field. The stadium, touted as the the NFL’s oldest and having the second-smallest capacity with roughly 62,000 seats, is nestled on the shore of Lake Michigan. The expected total cost for a new stadium hovers around $5 billion.
Bears’ recent hires represent an active effort to strengthen their legal arm as they negotiate for public funding for the new stadium’s construction. These appointments emphasize the essential role of legal professionals in such high-stakes sports business transactions. Read the original report here.