Board introduces outside legal team to support stadium lease and financing work

The board introduced the district's outside legal team, which the chair said had supported the prior board on real estate and stadium lease matters and remains engaged to assist with negotiations and financing.

Michael Gillette identified himself as “a partner with Polsonelli's office here in Phoenix” and said his practice focuses on real estate transactions and assembling deal teams for acquisitions, leasing and development work. He told the board the firm had worked with the district for about a year to support lease negotiations and related work.

Mary Jane Judy, who said she is based in the firm’s Kansas City office, described experience representing the Kansas City Chiefs and working on related public-funding and lease matters. “That experience certainly would be useful, obviously, with the Diamondbacks and how this, how the state funding is gonna work,” she said, adding that she had been involved with stadium lease negotiations tied to ballot measures.

The chair framed the introductions as a warm handoff and thanked the attorneys for their work. A board member said having counsel who already know the project would preserve the board's sense of urgency and efficiency in upcoming negotiations.

The introductions did not include a vote; the engagement continues as an advisory relationship to support lease and financing discussions moving forward.