In the Sports Arena: Chauntell Bobo, ’11, Women’s Tennis Association Deputy General Counsel
Chauntell Bobo, ’11, a first-generation college student, was not thinking of sports law when she enrolled at the Law School. She was looking at ways of combining her interests in business and law.
After she graduated, she worked at DLA Piper and Baker McKenzie as a corporate associate, managing a broad range of transactions. In 2016, she moved in house at a financial services company, DRW, where she became knowledgeable in cryptocurrencies and digital token investing. Interestingly, it was this fintech experience that put her on track to a career in sports.
While she was making great money being a crypto lawyer, it wasn’t where Bobo wanted to wind up. “I started thinking, what are my passion areas? Sports, travel, and wine. I wasn’t going to make any money drinking wine or traveling, so I started to think about what I could do in sports.”
“My experience in corporate law, sports betting, and crypto currency all came back in because I was doing deals of that nature.”
Bobo became director of Legal and Business Affairs for FanDuel, a leading online sports betting and daily fantasy sports company. Her duties included handling issues related to governance, gaming licensing, sponsorships, and data privacy. She worked at FanDuel for two and a half years before landing “a dream job” as assistant general counsel for the Golden State Warriors basketball team.
“My experience in corporate law, sports betting, and cryptocurrency all came back in because I was doing our sponsorship deals and the cryptocurrency deals and things of that nature,” Bobo said.
In 2022, less than a year after she joined the Golden State Warriors, the team won the NBA championship, an experience Bobo called “unforgettable.” She attended several Finals games and took part in the subsequent championship parade.
While she was really enjoying her time in basketball, Bobo decided to take the interview when she was contacted by a recruiter courting her to join the legal team of the Women’s Tennis Association. Bobo ultimately decided that the position, which allowed her to live anywhere and work fully remotely, was too good a match for her to pass up. In March, she joined the WTA as its new deputy general counsel.
Bobo almost immediately had the opportunity to fly to Madrid for board meetings and a major tournament, which she said provided her with “a crash course in tennis.”
Bobo’s main advice to legal professionals looking to join the sports industry is to be flexible in their thinking. “You can take a lot of different types of paths,” she said. “Are you willing to look at only the Golden State Warriors, or associations like the NBA and WTA? Are you willing to look at FanDuel or other sports-adjacent companies? There are lots of opportunities out there if you are willing to be flexible in your search.”
Mark A. Cohen is the Assistant Dean for Communications at the Law School.