Forty Under 40

Photo by: MIAMI HEAT

Wright, vice president and associate general counsel for the Heat, not only is helping pave the way for growth at one of the league’s top revenue teams, she also is exerting her influence beyond the Heat’s front office.

She is a board member for USA Track & Field, and in the past has served on the boards of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, and the Corporate Counsel Women of Color. She guest lectures on business and sports to a wide variety of groups and serves as a mentor for women in the industry.

“Eve’s modest demeanor belies a profound passion for contributing to our industry via board service and mentoring,” said Eric Woolworth, president of business operations for the Heat.

Wright’s growing sphere of influence is driven by her career success. After working for a Minneapolis law firm after graduating from law school at Indiana University, Wright worked for six years as senior director of legal affairs for the LPGA. She joined the Heat in 2007 where she deals with a variety of legal issues ranging from negotiating legal points of sponsorship deals to navigating the local political waters for the Heat and the county-owned AmericanAirlines Arena.

“We are innovative and pushing the limits of traditional deals,” Wright said. “What we are doing is bigger, better and more meaningful, so from a legal standpoint we have to figure out how to achieve it.”

Evidence of her role in boosting the Heat’s bottom line is a corporate sponsorship roster that’s up at least 40 percent in the past year.

“Eve has brought a substantial skill-set of drafting and negotiating complex legal contracts with a multitude of Heat corporate partners, many of which are the most recognizable brands in the world,” Woolworth said. “Eve’s strategic thinking and creative approach both are instrumental in closing deals that allow us to stage top-line acts, entertainers, shows and productions at our facility.”