Key points:
- Ted Ullyot, Facebook’s former GC, will become the NFL’s new general counsel in May.
- Ullyot brings high-level experience from government, Big Law, and Silicon Valley.
- His appointment comes as the NFL navigates global expansion, digital transformation, and DEI pressures.
The National Football League has named Ted Ullyot, the former general counsel who helped take Facebook public in 2012, as its next top lawyer. Ullyot will succeed longtime general counsel Jeffrey Pash, who is retiring after serving in the role since 1997. The appointment was announced to the league’s 32 team owners on Monday, with Ullyot set to begin next month.
Ullyot’s career spans the highest levels of government and private enterprise. A Harvard and University of Chicago Law School graduate, he clerked for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia before joining Kirkland & Ellis. He later served as associate counsel and deputy assistant to President George W. Bush and as chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales at the Department of Justice.
In 2008, Ullyot became Facebook’s general counsel, steering the company through its landmark 2012 IPO. Following his tenure at the social media giant, he joined venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, and more recently co-founded the Torridon Group alongside former U.S. Attorney General William Barr. Since 2023, Ullyot has served as the boutique consulting firm’s managing director.
Ullyot steps into the role as the NFL reaches new commercial heights. With annual revenues nearing $20 billion, Commissioner Roger Goodell has set a $25 billion revenue target for 2027. The league’s media rights deals are expanding, and its international footprint continues to grow. Yet challenges remain—including digital disruption, evolving fan behaviors, and underrepresentation of women in leadership roles.
A June 2024 white paper from Russell Reynolds Associates describes the current moment as a “commercial revolution” for professional sports. It highlights the need for gender diversity in executive ranks and calls digital innovation “the ultimate game changer,” especially for engaging Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans accustomed to on-demand content consumption.
With experience spanning Silicon Valley, Washington, and Wall Street, Ullyot is expected to bring a strategic legal and business lens to the NFL’s next chapter.
The full article is available at Law.com Corporate Counsel.
