WilmerHale has added veteran corporate and sports lawyer Teresa “Terry” Johnson as a partner in its San Francisco office and co-chair of its Sports & Gaming Practice, the firm announced.
Johnson will lead the practice alongside Michelle Nicole Diamond and Drew Dulberg. She brings more than 30 years of experience advising professional sports organizations, companies, boards and high-net-worth individuals on securities transactions, corporate governance, capital markets and complex business deals.
Managing Partner Anjan Sahni said Johnson’s arrival strengthens the firm’s capabilities as demand grows for sophisticated legal counsel in the sports sector and beyond.
Johnson has represented professional sports organizations, including teams in the National Football League and the Women’s National Basketball Association. Her work includes advising teams, owners and investors on ownership structures, governance, league matters, financings and mergers and acquisitions. She also counsels clients on investment structures, including minority and majority stakes, and helps navigate league rules, approvals and compliance requirements.
In addition to her sports practice, Johnson advises closely held businesses and high-net-worth clients on capital markets transactions, ownership transitions and broader strategic matters.
Diamond said Johnson’s experience enhances the firm’s ability to advise sports clients on a full range of corporate issues, from day-to-day governance to complex transactions.
Johnson said she was drawn to the firm’s sports and gaming platform and its broader transactional practice.
“I look forward to contributing to the continued growth of our corporate and sports and gaming practices and supporting clients as they navigate increasingly complex markets,” she said.
The move comes as WilmerHale continues to expand its transactional capabilities on the West Coast, particularly in San Francisco, where the firm expects increased growth-stage financing activity and a potential uptick in initial public offerings.
Before joining WilmerHale, Johnson was a partner and co-head of the capital markets practice at an AmLaw 100 firm. She has also practiced in London and across the United States.
Johnson has held leadership roles in the legal community, including serving as president of the Bar Association of San Francisco and the Justice & Diversity Center. She is also active in the Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights and frequently speaks and writes on environmental, social and governance issues and transactional law.
She earned her law degree from Stanford Law School, where she served on the Stanford Law Review, and received her undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Harvard University.
