OAKLAND, Calif. – The Golden State Warriors announced today that David Kelly, who had served as the club’s General Counsel and Vice President, Basketball Legal Affairs for the last two years, has been named General Counsel and Vice President, Basketball Management & Strategy. In this role, Kelly will serve as the team’s chief legal officer, manage matters related to the salary cap and luxury tax, and assist in the long-term financial planning in those areas. He will also continue to be actively engaged in many of the company’s key projects and initiatives on both the business and basketball sides of the organization, including the Warriors’ new sports and entertainment venue, Chase Center, in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood. Kelly reports to both President and COO Rick Welts and President, Basketball Operations/General Manager Bob Myers.
Kelly, who joined the organization in 2011, is currently in his sixth year with the Warriors and has been recognized for his outstanding work on multiple occasions, including last March, when he received The Recorder Magazine’s2016 In-House Impact Award, recognizing California litigation practices that delivered exceptional results on critical and challenging matters for their companies.
Prior to joining the Warriors, David was a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP where he provided legal counsel to a variety of sports teams and related clients, including the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Blues, Stockton Thunder, Time Warner Cable and Comcast Spectacor, regarding television, radio and internet rights agreements, arena/stadium matters, intellectual property issues, and sponsorship and naming rights agreements. David also advised clients in corporate transactions such as mergers, acquisitions and tender offers; represented underwriters in public offerings; and provided counsel to public companies with respect to securities law compliance, disclosure requirements and corporate governance matters.