[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-571890-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":74,"doc-detail-571890-en":120},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":67,"head_meta":69,"extra_data":71,"updated_unix":73},105,"en","the-12th-teammate-the-role-of-the-sports-gc-cheat-sheet","The 12th Teammate - The Role of the Sports GC - Cheat Sheet","","“The 12th Teammate—The Role of the Sports GC” explains why a sports general counsel must function beyond contract review and risk oversight, acting as a trusted business advisor. It contrasts typical legal-only perceptions with the GC’s value in objectively shaping strategy, navigating impediments, and helping leaders achieve goals while minimizing legal risk. The text outlines practical expectations for an in-house GC and highlights insights from multiple NFL and MLB general counsel perspectives.",{"@graph":14,"@context":66},[15,34,49],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/","Letters",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/the-12th-teammate-the-role-of-the-sports-gc-cheat-sheet/571890/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"author":36,"headline":10,"publisher":39,"fileFormat":42,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":43,"datePublished":43,"encodingFormat":42,"isAccessibleForFree":44,"interactionStatistic":45},"DigitalDocument",{"name":37,"@type":38},"Bintang","Person",{"url":19,"name":40,"@type":41},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-13",true,{"@type":46,"interactionType":47,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":48},"ViewAction",{"@type":50,"mainEntity":51},"FAQPage",[52,58,62],{"name":53,"@type":54,"acceptedAnswer":55},"What is the general counsel’s most critical function beyond reviewing contracts?","Question",{"text":56,"@type":57},"To serve as a trusted business advisor to management, helping shape strategy with an objective, risk-aware perspective.","Answer",{"name":59,"@type":54,"acceptedAnswer":60},"Why do some CEOs or CFOs hesitate to hire a general counsel in-house?",{"text":61,"@type":57},"They often view the lawyer as unnecessary due to limited litigation, minimal intellectual property needs, and an inability to justify the investment.",{"name":63,"@type":54,"acceptedAnswer":64},"How does a strong GC approach decisions in meetings?",{"text":65,"@type":57},"By walking the talk—demonstrating deep understanding of the sports business and acting like a true business partner while detouring around risk rather than stopping deals.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":68,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":40,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":70,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":72,"site_id":7},571890,1791924264,{"code":4,"msg":75,"data":76},"success",[77,82,87,92,97,102,107,111,116],{"id":78,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":79,"show_sort_weight":80,"slug":81},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":83,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":88,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":93,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":94,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":96},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":98,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":99,"show_sort_weight":100,"slug":101},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":103,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":104,"show_sort_weight":105,"slug":106},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":108,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},18,30,"letters",{"id":112,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":113,"show_sort_weight":114,"slug":115},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":117,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":118,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":119},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":75,"data":121},{"doc_id":72,"user_id":122,"nickname":37,"user_avatar":123,"doc_module":22,"category_id":108,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":124,"file_id":125,"file_url":126,"file_type":127,"file_size":128,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":78,"language":129,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":130,"faqs":131,"seo_title":132,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":73,"read_time":33},962085564381,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","The 12th Teammate—The Role of the Sports GC  \nSports and Entertainment  \nCHEAT SHEET  \n More than just the guardian of the corporation. The general counsel is capable of reviewing contracts and providing risk-management oversight, but their most critical function is trusted business advisor.  \n Walk the talk. Lawyers need to showcase their solid understanding of the sports industry, and then talk, think and act like a true business person in meetings.  \n Think for the future. While the CEO and CFO may never feel it is the right time to bring a lawyer in-house, it will ultimately be prudent and more cost effective to do so.  \nThroughout the past decade, most professional sports teams and franchises have hired and retained a general counsel to oversee their legal and business affairs. In fact, in the world of major professional sports, many CEOs and team presidents are realizing that those legal needs are increasing substantially, and many franchises now have multiple lawyers on the payroll to handle team, league, facility and other related issues. In the smaller leagues/teams, and in many small/midsized companies across a variety of industries, those legal roles rarely exist. It is a scene that is constantly played out by CEOs of smaller public and private corporations (not just in sports), as CEOs evaluate the merits of adding a lawyer to the management team of their organization or look to outside counsel on an as-needed basis while attempting to handle matters internally.  \nTypical Scenario: A mid-sized company is experiencing significant revenue growth. It is poised for more growth, including the possibility of international expansion and/or acquisition opportunities. The legal function is overseen by a combination of the CFO and/or outside counsel on an as-needed basis to review contracts or the occasional pressing issue. While the legal spend continues to increase, the CEO still feels that there is no need for a general counsel (GC) and cannot cognitively justify the return on investment. After all, the company does not have litigation, the intellectual property needs are minimal, and there will always seem to be a need for hiring outside counsel. This way, the CEO or CFO figures that she can continue to manage the organization’s fixed legal costs down and maintain maximum flexibility.  \nA good GC, however, is more than just the “Guardian of the Corporation.” While typical GCs do things like draft, review and negotiate strategic transactions and contracts (creating efficient processes, procedures and consistency along the way); deal with employment issues; handle corporate and board governance matters; monitor and protect IP assets; and ensure compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations, a critical function of the GC is to serve as a trusted business advisor to the management team. Since the GC is not deeply involved in the primary business areas, they have the ability to look at matters objectively and can provide an unbiased opinion on the particular business strategy, which is extremely valuable. This serves as an effective check and balance for the senior leadership team. According to David Cohen, the general counsel of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL),“a good general counsel is the proverbial 12th man in every department of the organization. A GC is one of the few executives that touches every primary area of the business. As such, a good GC can provide advice that fits within the big picture of an organization.”  \nThe GC’s job is to make the CEO see them in a different light—a more business-oriented light—much like the CFO who is perceived as capable of reviewing contracts and providing riskmanagement oversight in addition to finance management. If the perception remains that the lawyer will prevent sales, stifle creativity and drown the organization in policies, procedures and unnecessary details, then it is easy to see why the CEO’s view seems justified.  \nCohen sees","cbCairpqBwgKcBLP","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCairpqBwgKcBLP","pdf",917398,"English","# Cheat Sheet","[{\"question\":\"What is the general counsel’s most critical function beyond reviewing contracts?\",\"answer\":\"To serve as a trusted business advisor to management, helping shape strategy with an objective, risk-aware perspective.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do some CEOs or CFOs hesitate to hire a general counsel in-house?\",\"answer\":\"They often view the lawyer as unnecessary due to limited litigation, minimal intellectual property needs, and an inability to justify the investment.\"},{\"question\":\"How does a strong GC approach decisions in meetings?\",\"answer\":\"By walking the talk—demonstrating deep understanding of the sports business and acting like a true business partner while detouring around risk rather than stopping deals.\"}]","The 12th Teammate - The Role of the Sports GC - Cheat Sheet | PDF"]