Nona Lee is in her 22nd season with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2021, and serves as Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, overseeing all legal issues for the organization. Before dedicating her time solely to the D-backs, she served as Associate General Counsel (2000-04) and VP and Associate General Counsel (2004-05) for the Phoenix Suns, D-backs, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Rattlers, Chase Field, US Airways Center and Dodge Theater.
Lee assisted in the negotiations with FOX Sports Arizona on a 20-year extension that began in 2016, and is the largest financial transaction in franchise history. She also assisted with negotiations for the building and use of Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the Arizona Diamondbacks Spring Training home and, most recently, assisted with the negotiations for acquisition of land and construction of the Club’s planned new Dominican Republic Academy. She also assists the Baseball Operations department with preparation and presentation of salary arbitration matters in addition to assisting with other Baseball Operations related matters. In addition to her legal responsibilities, Lee chairs the D-backs’ diversity, equity and inclusion efforts through the D-backs for Change initiative.
Prior to joining the sports industry, Lee had a brief stint as a corporate associate at Gallagher & Kennedy, specializing in corporate transactions and securities, after having worked as a litigator for Meyer Hendricks, specializing in commercial litigation, personal injury and medical malpractice, from 1995-99. Lee received her Juris Doctor in 1995 from the Oklahoma City University School of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude.
Lee is also active in the community and in the sports industry, currently serving on the board of directors and as a Past-President of the Sports Lawyers Association, a non-profit, international, professional organization whose common goal is the understanding, advancement and ethical practice of sports law. Lee also serves on the board of the National LGBTQ Bar Association, as well as on its Membership and D&I Committees. In addition, Lee is an Arbitrator on the American Arbitration Association’s Sports Law and Commercial Business Panels and is also a panelist on the NCAA’s Independent Resolution Panel. Lee also serves as a member of the Advisory Board for Arizona State University’s Sports Law and Business Program. In addition, Lee serves as a member of the Board of Advisors of the National Sports Law Institute at Marquette University School of Law, and an Advisory Board Member for the Arizona Chapter of Women in Sports and Events (WISE). She is the founder of the Phoenix Women's Sports Association, an Arizona non-profit organization whose mission is to help girls and women find their power through sports. In addition, she has served on the board of the Women's Sports Foundation in New York, a non-profit organization founded by Billie Jean King that is dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity, and currently serves as part of the Trustee Emeritus Group for the Women’s Sports Foundation. In the past, Lee also has served on the Board of the Phoenix Regional Sports Commission, the Pepperdine Athletic Board, the Board of Florence Crittenton, and the Board of Directors of the YWCA of Maricopa County.
Lee is a past recipient of the YWCA of Maricopa County's Sports Leader Award, was recognized by the Phoenix Business Journal as one of the Women in Business honorees and was an Athena Award honoree. She has received the Joyce Holsey Award of Excellence from the Black Women Lawyer's Association and has been recognized as one of Arizona Foothills magazine's "Women Who Move the Valley." In 2014, she was recognized by Republic Media as one of the 50 Highest Ranking Women in Business in Arizona, and has also received the Spotlight on Success Award from One Community for her commitment to diversity. Lee was recognized by AZBusiness magazine one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Arizona, and has also received the Spotlight on Success Award from One Community for her commitment to diversity. In 2016, Lee was recognized by the Arizona Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel as Attorney of the Year for private, medium-sized companies. In 2017, she was the recipient of the 2017 Positively Powerful Women Global Leader Award, and in 2018 was recognized by the Sports Business Journal as a Game Changer. In 2019, Phoenix magazine placed Lee on its first-ever list of the “Great 48,” comprised of 48 of the Valley’s most influential people. Also in 2019, Lee was recognized by the Arizona State Bar Association as Outstanding In-House Counsel of the year and in 2020 by the WISE Arizona Chapter as a “Woman of Distinction”.
Lee resides in Phoenix, Arizona with her wife, Andrea Martinez, and their dogs Jaz and Ripley.