Q&A: Go behind the scenes with the Mariners’ new chief legal officer, Melissa Robertson

Her name might not be on the back of a jersey, but Melissa Robertson, ’03, is part of the glue that holds the Seattle Mariners together. Get to know Robertson and how she went from law school to analyzing the risks of dropping hot dogs to fans from the sky.

Now in her 18th season with the Mariners, Melissa Robertson was recently promoted to Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the organization.

When you started law school, did you envision a career in sports?

Not initially. I was born and raised in Seattle and have always been a big Seattle sports fan, but it wasn’t until I was a summer associate at Perkins Coie that I started to envision a career in sports. I had learned that a Perkins Coie partner, Bart Waldman, was the primary outside lawyer to the Mariners and I went out of my way to introduce myself and chat Mariners baseball with him in the office. Talking with him helped me realize that there were all kinds of opportunities for lawyers in sports beyond just working for sports teams. At that time, I started thinking about what a career in sports could look like; for example, negotiating sports-media deals, representing an athletic conference, arbitrating sports disputes, or perhaps serving as a sports agent, compliance officer or intellectual property brand protection counsel. I started negotiating sponsorship agreements on behalf of the Mariners as a junior associate at Perkins, and that eventually led to the opportunity of a lifetime to work for my favorite baseball team as in-house counsel.

Why did you choose the UW for law school?

I went to undergrad [at Scripps College] in Claremont, California and was very excited to return home after I graduated. I knew that UW had an excellent law school and, after researching more about the J.D. program, decided it was the perfect fit for me given its strong academic reputation, relatively small class sizes and experiential learning opportunities outside of the classroom.

Tell me about your experience as a UW law student.

I had heard horror stories about how terrible law school is—especially the first year—but although it was challenging, I enjoyed it. Our class was divided into smaller cohorts who took all of the same first-year classes together.

The experiential learning opportunities UW offered helped me discover what aspects of practicing law I would enjoy. I really loved contract drafting and negotiation clinics, as well as my experience on the Washington Law Review, which helped me appreciate that I would enjoy a law practice that involved research, writing and negotiating contracts. My only regret is that I didn’t get to take classes at beautiful William H. Gates Hall—I was the last class to graduate from the concrete bunker that is Condon Hall.

Tell me about your UW connections today.

I am still in touch with several classmates from UW Law. I also talk with current law students from time to time about careers in sports law. I still attend UW games as a fan, especially football, softball and basketball.

What projects you have handled for the Mariners?

I support every single department within the organization, which means I get to be involved in all kinds of fun and interesting projects. Some projects are huge undertakings, such as bringing the MLB All-Star Game and NHL Winter Classic to T-Mobile Park, which involved facilitating connections in the community and negotiating countless contracts. My role in other projects is more discrete, such as launching new in-park entertainment like the “Salmon Run” mascot race and the outrageously popular “Hotdogs from Heaven”—which involves hot dogs attached to little parachutes being thrown off the upper deck to excited fans below—where I consulted on risk-management issues and handled the related intellectual property clearance.

Another fun project I handled just prior to the start of this season was licensing the necessary rights from Eddie Vedder to officially establish the “Vedder Cup,” the nickname for the “rivalry series” between the Mariners and the San Diego Padres. I also helped launch our very first jersey sleeve partnership with Nintendo, which involved negotiating the partnership agreement, securing the necessary MLB licenses and approvals and drafting the endorsement deal with Julio Rodríguez in connection with the partnership.

Tell me about your role in baseball operations.

I handle negotiating license agreements for software, data and technology platforms, drafting employment agreements for Front Office and medical staff, and advising on MLB rules and other compliance issues. I [recently] negotiated a lease and a related data rights agreement for our very high-tech pitching machines. People often ask me what my role is in Major League player contract negotiations, but it’s pretty limited, given that the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MLB Players Association establishes a Uniform Player Contract for all MLB players.

What are you working on now?

One long-term and ongoing project I’m working on is the continued evolution and formalization of our Compliance & Ethics program, which may not sound terribly exciting to most people, but it’s truly a labor of love for me. I am also delighted to be working with our Community Impact team to make changes to the structure of the Mariners Care Foundation, which will help us expand our ability to serve our communities, one of the pillars of the Seattle Mariners mission.

Favorite Mariner ever?

I have several favorite Mariners—Ichiro, Edgar Martinez, Alvin Davis—but if I had to pick one, I’d say Ken Griffey Jr. He was the player who made me fall in love with baseball.

Chapulines [toasted grasshoppers] or garlic fries?

Garlic fries. I’ve certainly had Chapulines at T-Mobile Park, but I can’t get enough of our garlic fries.

Is this the Mariners year? Please say yes.

We have one of the best starting rotations in baseball and beyond that, we’ve got the best catcher in baseball in Cal Raleigh, who is just tearing the cover off the ball. I think our offense is going to surprise a lot of people.