From Big Law to Boutique: Helen Maher on Launching Maher Legal Group

No firm is an island – Helen Maher knows that very well. Maher comes from the world of Big Law and with 22 years at Boies Schiller Flexner under her belt, she knows the value of a team. Quite literally. At Boies Schiller, Maher landed in sports litigation by way of the New York Yankees. It wasn’t a niche she initially sought out, but it continues to be an area where she dominates. Maher is a lawyer who doesn’t just spend time learning the law, but immerses herself into the client’s business, oftentimes becoming the vault of its history and strategies.

Less than a year ago, Maher set out to custom-build her own firm, Maher Legal Group. It helped that the highly celebrated litigator knew exactly what she wanted for her boutique and for her clients. Paint barely dry, Maher has been perfectly busy since opening up shop, serving a robust mix of new and long-standing clients.

One of Maher’s many great powers as an attorney is her ability to inspire loyalty that lasts decades. Her clients have followed her over her 25-year career, from Boies Schiller to Cadwalader and now to her new home at Maher Legal Group.

“Opening Maher Legal Group gave me the opportunity to tailor the services that I was providing for clients, but also to offer those services at competitive rates – because as we all know, the fees from Big Law are increasing,” says Maher. “I realized I could start my own firm, provide the same Big Law services, but reduce the rates to those of a smaller shop by limiting the overhead. It worked for me, it worked for my clients – and it was a great time to do it.”

Maher has been strategically advising NASCAR for over two decades. The litigation superstar has handled multi-billion-dollar litigation on behalf of NASCAR. She has also represented the Dallas Cowboys, LPGA and other sports groups. But it isn’t just in the world of sports where she excels. Maher represented the co-founder of Arizona Iced Tea in complex commercial litigation – work that resulted in a recovery of nearly $1B for her client.

Maher’s track record of exceptional outcomes speak for itself , but if you ask her what makes a great litigator, the answer is quite simple.

“You have to be an excellent listener with your clients,” says Maher. “You have to be a team player and you have to immerse yourself in the litigation or issues facing your client. But most importantly, you have to be passionate about your client’s business. Essentially you must become entrenched in the business so that you are able to understand the impact of the legal or business decisions on the company’s operations.”

As the Maher Legal Group grows organically, Maher’s vision is to keep it small and smart. Over two decades worth of great working relationships in Big Law offers her the luxury of collaboration whenever a case may demand it. This model works perfectly for Maher who, by keeping her boutique small, can ensure that her fingerprints remain on the ethos of the firm.

Lawdragon: Did you always plan on working in sports litigation, or did that happen organically?

Helen Maher: It was organic. I had not contemplated a sports practice at all. It actually took me by surprise that I even went into litigation. I thought I would be a corporate lawyer. I was hired by Boies Schiller for the corporate department that they were just starting at the time. But Bob Silver, a storied litigator at BSF, happened to pass my office and gave me litigation work to do, and suddenly I started doing litigation. I hadn't really planned for it, but the sports world just happened – it really found me.

From that point, I worked on associate level work for the Yankees at Boies Schiller. Then I worked on the YES Network’s antitrust complaint against a media company. Based on a sports company referral, we ended up representing NASCAR. At some point two antitrust cases I was working on (one being NASCAR’s) were going at the same speed – really quickly – and NASCAR told me they needed all of my time. I chose to focus on NASCAR and I've worked very closely with their legal department and their executives for the last 23 years. It was a very good choice.

LD: Were you a fan of NASCAR when you started with them?

HM: At the time of being retained, I had never watched a NASCAR race. Then as I got into it, I started watching more and developed an understanding and an affinity for both the sport and the business.I spent a lot of my own time reading books about NASCAR’s history from the 1940s to today. I have a personal NASCAR library. And I travelled all over the country to watch the different types of races at the various tracks. I ultimately made my family and friends fans of NASCAR too. I even ended up having my bachelorette party at a NASCAR race. We stayed in the RV section, went to the race, and then to Miami afterwards. It was a lot of fun. I have been internalized into the NASCAR world, which is helpful because I have a unique understanding of their business and their legal issues. And all the background work helped me be a better partner with them over time.

People may rely on biometrics to see how they should bet on a game, which will have implications on the betting landscape.

LD: You opened up Maher Legal Group in April of 2024. Tell us a bit about how you came to open your own firm.

HM: It was a natural evolution of my practice. I had been at Boies Schiller for 22 years and then at Cadwalader for a few years. I had my own client base at that point and I knew how litigation worked – I was giving a lot of business advice too. So I started to focus on the fact that I could do this work by myself for the most part. I figured that when I was involved in larger litigation scenarios, I could partner with a local firm, and still be able to handle the same types of cases that I was handling at the Big Law firms. Opening Maher Legal Group gave me the opportunity to tailor the services that I was providing for clients, but also at competitive rates – because the fees from Big Law were increasing. It came to a point where my clients were concerned about the rates per hour. It got me thinking I could start my own firm, provide the same services, but reduce the overhead. It worked for me, it worked for my clients – and it was a great time in my career to do it.

LD: Tell me about your current caseload at the new firm.

HM: I have several clients that came with me when I set out on my own and I've acquired several others since then. So my dance card is pretty full right now.

I'm currently on two cases that are going to trial this year, and I also have several cases where I’m providing business and strategic advice.

LD: As a boutique firm, how do you staff up for a case of that size?

HM: I work with local counsel where needed. On one of the cases, I’m working with associates and partners at a local firm, so it feels like we're all part of the same firm. That case is actually with former Boies Schiller lawyers who opened Heise Suarez Melville, which is great because we know each other. We all have the aggressive litigation style from BSF, we know how each other litigates – and it's very efficient.

I have a pretty strong network around the country, even just from the Boies Schiller side alone. However, since a large part of my practice is providing business advice and strategy, and different ways to avoid litigation, I can do that solo.

LD: And where do you see the firm in five or 10 years?

HM: I am going to be pragmatic about how I grow the firm. I expect this year to at least bring on an associate or two after I get through the next two trials. After that, I will probably just grow slowly and naturally but collaborating with local counsel is really working well for me.

LD: Are there any trends that you're seeing in sports law that you could point to in terms of the types of matters that are keeping you busy?

HM: Gender designations are still coming up in sports. We had one client where it was a question of how to address the issue going forward with its policies.

Something that's interesting is biometrics being used in sports and how it will affect betting or how it will affect disclosure of private information of the athletes. People may rely on biometrics to see how they should bet on a game, which will have implications on the betting landscape.

Obviously, name, image and likeness issues are still arising at the college level. And I think everyone is watching the impact of private equity on sports leagues, teams and athletes.

LD: Is there a particular case from throughout your career that stands out as a personal favorite for any reason?

HM: There are two. One is a NASCAR case – it was Kentucky Speedway v. NASCAR. It was the second antitrust lawsuit that I had worked on for NASCAR and it involved most of the main players in the industry. We ended up winning on summary judgment and having it affirmed by the 6th Circuit. It was a memorable case because we had to get into the specifics of the motorsports industry, and how it did not constitute a separate product market for antitrust analysis purposes.

The second case is Arizona Iced Tea. We represented one partner against the other partner in a business dissolution, and it was a hard fought litigation. We had to fight for every inch of territory in that case because it had so many litigations going on at the time. Both owners were adamant in their positions. But it was a lot of fun and a lot of challenging work at the same time.

LD: What kind of advice would you give to someone who's just starting out in the law?

HM: The most important decision is where you choose to practice law. When I chose to practice with Boies Schiller, it was a decision that impacted my career’s trajectory. I was trained as a generalist which allowed me to be nimble in addressing cases from all areas of law. That flexibility has helped me throughout my career. David Boies is obviously one of the greatest litigators of all time so being able to work with him and watch how he approached cases and strategy was invaluable. The firm provided opportunities to be sensibly aggressive and to learn how to develop persuasive themes in litigation. It's so important to find a place where you can spread your wings, learn on your own and be given the opportunity to take on roles that are more significant than normally would be given to someone of your class year.

I would encourage anyone who's in Big Law today and is contemplating going out on their own, to take the step and do it.

It's also important to learn your craft. You have to commit as much time as you can to learning different types of law and working with different types of professionals – even if you may not like their approach because it’s helpful to learn different litigation styles. I spent weekends submerged in books about so many different subjects from environmental contaminants in state waters, to petroleum pricing, to valuations of beverage businesses. 

LD: What do you think makes a truly great litigator?

HM: A great litigator is not just a great strategist but also an extraordinary listener and communicator. But you also have to be a team player and be able to pivot with various topics of litigation.

LD: What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of opening up their own firm?

HM: I would encourage anyone who's in Big Law today and is contemplating going out on their own, to take the step and do it. For me, it was the right decision to make at the right time, and it allowed me to see the administrative aspects of starting my own firm but also allowed me to dictate my time and the types of cases I want to take on.

LD: How do you like to spend your time when you’re not working?

HM: I have two girls – 12 and 14, and they keep me busy. But I spend my free time with my family by traveling, going to the girls’ sports events, or just hanging out together.

LD: Do you think either of them will become lawyers?

HM: They each have the disposition for being a lawyer. I think one of them would more likely be a litigator, and the other would more likely be a corporate attorney. I’m told by their teachers that they are clearly raised by lawyers ... and I’m going to take that in the best possible light.