06 Oct 2026
Clifford Chance hires former NFL General Counsel Jill Kelley to strengthen private capital sports practice
"Clifford Chance hires Jill Kelley as partner in New York to strengthen its private capital entertainment and sports practice; Kelley joins from the New York Jets as former General Counsel and Vice President of Legal Affairs."
Kelley previously served as General Counsel and Vice President of Legal Affairs for the New York Jets. She advises professional teams, leagues, operators and investors on sports and league advisory matters, including tournament and league formation, complex commercial transactions, sponsorships and naming rights deals, and media commercial sponsorships. She will join Clifford Chance as a partner and be based in New York.
Her appointment strengthens Clifford Chance’s entertainment and sports sector capabilities and its global private capital offering. Kelley is the firm’s tenth private capital partner hire globally so far in 2026 and the latest addition to its growing US private capital team, following the earlier appointments of tax partner Adriana Zhan, private equity partner Michal Netanyahu and funds partner Chris Phillips‑Hart.