Just five years out of the Arizona State University College of Law, Ahron Cohen was named general counsel of the Arizona Coyotes this summer. And while it may seem like a fantastic fluke deposited him in what many a sports lawyer would consider a coveted job, Cohen’s road was both dynamic and calculated, including time spent interning with the Minnesota Vikings and gaining real-world experience at Snell & Wilmer.
To learn more, we interviewed Cohen:
Question: When did you first know sports law was something you were interested in?
Answer: Sports has been a huge part of my life since I was very young. I grew up closely following and playing several sports, and then went on to play running back at Bowdoin College. While at Bowdoin, I took several law, policy and government courses, and realized that I also had a strong passion for law. I contemplated going into coaching, but I thought that pursuing a legal career gave me more of an opportunity to pursue my various passions. While in law school, I learned about the various sports law career paths, but I did not have a particular path pre-determined. I was incredibly fortunate to obtain an internship during law school—and shortly after law school—with the Minnesota Vikings. During my internship, I realized that eventually serving as a team General Counsel would be an exciting job; however, I also knew that I needed to learn how to become a good lawyer in order to effectively deal with the complex and challenging legal and business issues facing professional sports teams. After law school, I decided to join the Snell & Wilmer law firm in its Phoenix office. I had no idea what would be in store for my future in law, but I knew that joining a large, premiere business law firm with dynamic clients, exceptional attorneys and sophisticated legal work, would create great opportunities down the road.
Q: Tell me about your experience with Kevin Warren and the Minnesota Vikings?
A: Working for Kevin Warren and the Vikings was an unbelievable experience. Kevin remains a great friend and mentor, and we talk on a regular basis to this day. He is not only a great lawyer and business leader, but he is also a wonderful person. Kevin gave me the opportunity to see the big picture of all the legal issues affecting an NFL team. He allowed me to participate in several important meetings and phone calls with NFL executives, business leaders, coaches, players and staff members, and he always made sure that I was learning and gaining new experiences in sports law. On top of the general business law matters, I had exposure to many unique issues, including work stoppage preparation, new stadium development, player discipline issues, and coaching staff changes. Kevin also provided me with a lot of substantive work, and he consistently pushed me to expand beyond my comfort zone and get better every single day. Kevin’s thoughtful and engaging approach to analyzing legal and business issues, collaborating with others in the organization to solve problems, and developing close relationships within the sports industry sets an outstanding example, and I hope to emulate these qualities in my career.
Q: Describe your practice at Snell and Wilmer?
A: I began my practice at Snell & Wilmer in the Business Litigation group. After my first year, however, I switched into Snell’s Corporate Group. Although I really enjoyed the intellectual rigors of litigation, I wanted to work with clients to help grow their businesses and achieve positive outcomes for all involved parties. For the last 3 years, my practice in the Corporate group primarily consisted of M&A, general corporate, securities, and corporate governance work. Snell & Wilmer did not have a devoted sports law practice group, but I did serve as the lead associate in representing the ownership group that purchased the Coyotes from the NHL in 2013. I also represented the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee in outside legal counsel in its preparation for the Super Bowl in 2015.
Q: A lot of people might note that you are fairly young for the position. Does the age thing really matter?
A: What is fun and exciting about sports—both for athletes and the front-office—is that you never know where or when an opportunity is going to come along. The only thing you can control is that you are ready to perform when given the opportunity. I have been incredibly privileged in my legal career thus far to learn from some outstanding lawyers. In addition, my great exposure to complex and high-profile legal work with the Vikings, Snell & Wilmer, and the Super Bowl Host Committee has given me the confidence to step into this role and achieve success from day one. The fact that I previously represented the ownership group helps as well, as I had some familiarity with the team, and the ownership group had a level of comfort with my work product and ability to effectively address legal issues. I am very thankful for this outstanding opportunity to serve as General Counsel of the Coyotes.
Q: Finally, what advice would you give college students that want to build a career is sports law?
A: First and foremost, my advice is to become a good lawyer. In-house positions—especially General Counsel positions—are challenging in that there is very little legal guidance. It is certainly fun working for a professional sports team, but it is also difficult and complex work. I would encourage students to find a way to constantly get better. This includes learning and becoming familiar with a wide range of legal topics affecting sports teams. I would also encourage students to find ways to constantly improve their writing skills. On top of the substantive skills, it is important for students to develop relationships within the sports industry. It is also important to find ways to build up their resumes to make themselves valuable assets. For instance, as teams continue to look for new ways to activate corporate partnerships, promotional law and privacy law are becoming hot-button topics within the sports law community. These are cutting-edge legal fields, which presents great opportunities for students to conduct research, write articles, and become legal experts.
