The former legal head of the Arizona Cardinals is hired as the CEO by the Green Bay Packers.
In lieu of Ed Policy, who is being elevated to the position of president and CEO, the American football franchise Green Bay Packers has appointed Kevin Manara as its general counsel.
Manara joins from the Arizona Cardinals, another NFL team, where he served as general counsel. He will use his approximately 20 years of expertise at the Packers to manage legal issues like litigation, employment, football operations, and corporate law in addition to offering executives and football staff counsel and strategic direction.
The Green Bay Packers, who are situated in Wisconsin, have won four Super Bowls in their history, the most recent being in 2010. Lambeau Field, the second-largest stadium in the NFL with a capacity of over 80,000, is the venue where the team plays.
Promotion
According to policy, Manara will be a great asset to the Packers and our operations as a whole because of his extensive league and team-level experience. As a senior staff member, we anticipate his leadership efforts.
Manara has been with the Cardinals for nearly two years. He joined the team as a special counsel in 2023 after serving as general counsel for a year with the Las Vegas Raiders. After beginning his legal career as an associate in the labor and employment department of Proskauer Rose’s private practice, he served as the NFL’s vice president of labor relations and policy for 13 years.
He oversaw the administration and enforcement of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association while he was employed by the organization.
In contrast, Policy joined the Packers in 2012 as general counsel before taking on the duties of chief operating officer in 2018.
Krista Whitaker, a former CLO of the NBA Miami Heat, was hired by the NFL team and Green Bay division foe Chicago Bears in April of last year.
Additionally, the NFL organization Buffalo Bills appointed Terry Gilbride as CLO in November 2023 after prior general counsel Kathryn D’Angelo was fired a month earlier.
Green Bay Packers’ new chief lawyer has more than decade of experience in NFL office
Manara will succeed Ed Policy, chief operating officer and general counsel, in the latter role. Policy is slated to become president and CEO in July, when Mark Murphy retires.
“He brings a wealth of experience at both the league and team level that will be invaluable to the Packers and our overall operations,” Policy said in a release.
Manara comes to the Packers with more than 20 years of experience in professional sports. He worked as general counsel for the Cardinals since July 2023 and was senior vice president and general counsel for the Raiders for 10 months. He provided legal advice and strategic guidance to owners, executives, and the football staff. His responsibilities included day-to-day legal matters involving litigation, employment, football operations, and corporate matters.
Manara was vice president of labor relations and policy for the National Football League from 2008 to 2021. He represented the NFL Management Council, the league, and clubs in administering and enforcing the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, including in arbitration proceedings and litigation. He was part of the NFL’s bargaining team during the 2011 and 2020 CBA negotiations with the NFL Players Association.
Other responsibilities included administration and enforcement of the NFL policy and program for substances of abuse and policy on performance-enhancing substances, as well as the CBA for game officials. He also advised the NFL football operations department regarding policies, procedures, and other legal issues and enforced the NFL personal conduct policy and the commissioner’s authority for the integrity of the game.
Before joining the NFL, he was an associate in the labor and employment department at Proskauer and he also worked in licensing and marketing for the National Basketball Association.
Manara received his bachelor’s degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins University, where he was a member of the football team, and his law degree with honors from New York Law School.
He and his wife, Kathy, have three children: Kate, 20; Jack, 18; and Ryan, 15.
