Timberwolves General Counsel Suzanne Spellacy Recognized for Achievements
Twin Cities Business has announced Suzanne Spellacy has been named a 2024 “TCB Notable General Counsel” honoree. Spellacy “is being recognized for her guidance in negotiating a first-of-its-kind partnership between the Timberwolves, Lynx and iHeart Media, in addition to the signing of major retail partner, Fanatics.”
“I truly appreciate this recognition and am thankful for the opportunity to work with the amazing leadership team at the Timberwolves and Lynx,” said Spellacy.
“Suzanne has been an invaluable asset to our organization, bringing not only her deep legal expertise but also her unparalleled institutional knowledge,” said Timberwolves and Lynx CEO Ethan Casson. “We are fortunate to have her guiding us through the many facets of our operations, and her contributions have been critical to our continued success.”
As the first internal General Counsel for the Timberwolves and Lynx, Spellacy joined the organization’s Executive Team in 2021 with more than two decades of experience. In her role, Spellacy oversees all legal matters, including contract negotiations, corporate transactions, intellectual property, dispute resolution, employment law and league rules and regulations.
Over the past 18 months, Spellacy led all negotiations of two new significant partnerships for the organization, including the innovative and first-of-its-kind partnership between the Timberwolves, Lynx and iHeart Media. The multi-year agreement, named KFAN (KFAN FM 100.3) the organization’s flagship radio station for select Timberwolves games and a majority of Lynx games. The Timberwolves also became the first NBA team with an exclusive streaming channel on the iHeartMedia platform.
Spellacy led negotiations for the franchises’ new retail partner, Fanatics. The new merchandising agreement resulted “in incredible Timberwolves retail growth at a 270% YOY increase, and significant in-arena and e-commerce sales growth.”
Spellacy has “deep knowledge of the emerging legal issues for NBA teams and the sports industry, including novel intellectual property rights, changing regulations impacting social media, evolution in sports property investments and the intersection of performance analytics and privacy. Spellacy’s leadership, preparedness and ability to provide clear and direct guidance have contributed to the organization’s recent growth and success.”
Beyond serving as Timberwolves and Lynx General Counsel, Spellacy “works to support and uplift the legal community, often dedicating her time and expertise to various causes. Most recently, Spellacy served on the planning committee and as a presenter at the inaugural conference for NBA Team Counsel in September 2023, and regularly organizes networking events for legal colleagues within Minnesota’s professional sports teams and among members of the broader Minnesota legal community.”
Prior to joining the organization, Spellacy served as legal counsel for the Taylor Corporation, was a shareholder with Twin Cities law firm Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A. and most recently, served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Jack Link’s.