After his stint as pitcher for Princeton University—where he lettered for four seasons and was named top pitcher his senior year—Bryan Stroh went on to attend law school at the University of Virginia, forgoing a swing at the big leagues.
But years later, after working on an internal investigation for the White Sox while at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Stroh finally found his place in the MLB after Pirates President Frank Coonelly offered him the position of general counsel.
The Cedar Rapids native sat down with Professional Sports and the Law contributing writer Alana Newhook to discuss how he found his way to the major leagues and what advice he has for young lawyers looking to start a career in sports law. Here’s what Stroh had to say:
Question: How did you get into sports law? Share a bit of your educational background.
Answer: I studied Political Science at Princeton where I was a pitcher on the baseball team. After graduation, I took a year off to work for a TV station in Iowa. Then I attended University of Virginia for law school. I did not study sports law while in law school. After law school, I joined Katten Muchin Rosenman law firm in Chicago where I worked on a variety of matters.
Q: Describe your path to the general counsel position at the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A: While at Katten, I worked in litigation handling matters such as mass torts, white collar crime and complex civil litigation involving some work for the White Sox and the Chicago Bulls. My goal was to work hard and be the best lawyer I could be. As a mid-level associate, I had the opportunity to work on an internal investigation for the White Sox. I also did some salary arbitration work for baseball players. I really enjoyed it and received encouragement to pursue more work related to baseball.
Q: What do you think the most important skill is for a general counsel for a professional sports team?
A: It is most important to have efficient, analytical skill. Analyzing and drafting contracts to manage risk is crucial. You have to make sure that you are protecting the team.
Q: What is the primary legal concern for a professional sports team? In other words, what occupies the most of your time?
A: Salary arbitration and contract deals takes up the most of my time. I do a little bit of everything from managing outside litigation, corporate sponsorships, and vendor contracts to intellectual property and marketing. In my position, I provide support to the entire ballpark.
Q: What advice do you have for young lawyers interested in working in sports law?
A: I would tell them to take a long look in the mirror and think about whether they are passionate about a specific aspect of sports law or have an unrealistic view. Young lawyers need to have a realistic view and be aware that it is not just fun all the time. It is not enough to just like sports or have the credentials. It is important to gain experience and be great at whatever you are doing at the time. Young lawyers should think strategically about how they can add value to a team, player, or league.
Q: Is it useful to have a certain amount of experience in any one particular area? What areas of the law are the most important for a lawyer to know if they want to follow a similar career path?
A: There is not one area that you need expertise in but it is important to be able assess risk and negotiate. It is important to be able to analyze situations to keep the team or player out of a mess or potential mess.
Q: What is your favorite aspect of your job?
A: I get to do a little bit of everything. Salary arbitration is my favorite because it can be a long process and little things can really pay huge dividends later on.
Q: What is the most difficult aspect of your job?
A: I have a unique role in that I am involved in baseball matters as well as legal matters. The unique blending of baseball and legal aspects are challenging.
Q: How do you see the role of general counsel for professional sports evolving?
A: Three things will be increasingly important for organizations to address. First, general counsels will need to focus on the legal aspects of safety in public sporting venues and the increased liability risks. This is a big issue in the sports world especially in light of the recent attacks at the Boston Marathon. Second, more time will be spent addressing specious litigation. Clubs become more of a target the more successful they become. Third, all clubs and leagues are sensitive to maintaining the intricate balance between league and club. Currently, the health of the sport of baseball is good so media requests are on the rise. This means that increased attention has to be paid to media and social media to protect the club.
Q: As VP/GC, do you interact with sports agents and to what extent?
A: All the time. Baseball is uncapped but governed by a complex collective bargaining agreement. I spend a lot of time talking with agents.
