Jeffrey Pash Offers Career Wisdom to Future Sports Attorneys
Last week, NFL General Counsel Jeffrey Pash visited Belmont for a conversation about his career and sports law with the dean of Belmont’s College of Law, Alberto Gonzales.
Pash joined the NFL in January of 1997 and is now the executive vice president and the league's principal in-house counsel. He also oversees labor relations, security and internal audit. Prior to joining the NFL, he was the senior vice president and general counsel for the NHL, where he served as the league’s senior legal and policy advisor to their commissioner. He began his career at Covington & Burling in Washington DC, where he handled litigation and labor matters for various clients, including the NFL. Pash has also taught at Georgetown, Virginia and Harvard law schools.
No Typical Day
There is no typical “day in the life” when you’re the general counsel for the NFL. Even after 25-plus years working with the NFL, Pash still learns new things. “Right now, I’m learning more about amortization of intangible assets and goodwill than I ever thought I'd have to know,” said Pash. “That’s one of the great things about this job — even after quite a few years, there's new things to learn, new challenges.”
Pash emphasizes that “being available” is crucial. Maintaining positive relationships with player agents, club owners and media is foundational to his role.
“Just yesterday, I had calls from three or four different owners with unique issues,” explained Pash. “What I found over the years is that people really want someone who will pick up the phone and listen to the problem. If it's important to them, it's important to me, and we'll figure out together how to solve it.”
Path to Success
Pash grew up in Fresno, California, and played football throughout his childhood. He attended Harvard University and was randomly assigned to the NFL as a client on his first day at Covington & Burling –– a fortuitous start to his career.
Pash is a strong believer that anyone can find success in the sports business. “If you have a passion for sports, there's a place for you. You don't have to study sports to work in it,” said Pash. “You can be a generalist and get your experience in a dozen different areas, and it will be directly applicable in sports because the skills are transferable.”
Pash looks for “busy kids” and cites Paul Tagliabue, former commissioner of the NFL, who said, “If you want to get something done, ask a busy person to do it because that person is busy for a reason.” He advises newcomers “Keep your eyes open. Keep your ears open. If there's an opportunity, volunteer for it. Nothing is beneath you.”
Navigating Career and Family in Professional Sports
Balancing family life with such a challenging position is no small feat. “It can be very demanding and there are times when you can't be somewhere people would like you to be,” said Pash. “But I think everyone puts up with that. My family would say that all in all, it's not been too bad.”
Pash reminisced about bringing his young children to the draft at Radio City Music Hall, where his daughter Sally once recognized quarterback Joe Namath, not from his football career, but from watching "The Brady Bunch."
As a fan, Pash always wishes for the same three things in a good game: “a really close game, no bad injuries and don’t let the game be decided by the officials.”
Learn more about sports law at Belmont