Penguins Hire Kevin Acklin As Senior VP and General Counsel

Kevin Acklin has joined the Pittsburgh Penguins as senior vice president and general counsel, David Morehouse, the team’s president and CEO, announced recently.

Acklin, 42, most recently worked as Chief Legal Officer for Peoples Natural Gas Company. Before that he was Chief of Staff and Chief Development Officer for Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto from 2013-17.

In addition to overseeing the Penguins’ legal affairs, Acklin is responsible for development of the former Civic Arena site.

“We’ve worked closely with Kevin over the past five years during his time with the City and Peoples Natural Gas and have always been very impressed with his work ethic, his intelligence and – maybe most importantly – the relationships he’s developed with people throughout the city and the region,” Morehouse said. “His experience in legal affairs, in government and in helping to rebuild our city make him a perfect fit for the Penguins as we move forward.”

‘This is good news for the Lower Hill and good news for affordable, equitable and inclusive development in Pittsburgh,” Mayor Peduto said. “We have a strong partnership with the Penguins already, and Kevin taking on this new role will only make the relationship between the team and the community stronger, and provide a boost to the 28-acre development.”

An opening was created recently when Travis Williams, the Penguins’ chief operating officer and general counsel, announced he was stepping down to take a senior management position with another NHL team. Williams has been with the Penguins since 2008.

Acklin is a native of South Oakland and a graduate of Central Catholic High School. He earned a degree in government from Harvard College and a law degree from Georgetown University Law School. He previously worked for law firms in Boston and Pittsburgh, primarily focused on private equity and mergers and acquisitions.