Krista Whitaker serves as Executive Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs & Chief Legal Officer for the Chicago Bears, where she leads legal strategy and oversight across both football and business operations. In this role, she manages the organization’s legal and business affairs, security, and risk management functions, ensuring alignment with the club’s strategic objectives. Working closely with President and CEO Kevin Warren, Krista provides comprehensive legal counsel and guidance on matters spanning transactional, corporate, litigation, commercial, regulatory, and security issues.

Before joining the Bears in 2024, Krista was Vice President and Associate General Counsel for the Miami Heat, where she advised on day-to-day operations and negotiated high-profile agreements, including sponsorship, media rights, and naming rights deals. She began her legal career at Proskauer Rose in New York City, focusing on corporate transactions and governance within the sports, media, and entertainment sectors.

Recognized for her leadership and impact in the industry, Krista has earned honors such as the National Bar Association’s 40 Under 40, Legal 500’s GC Powerlist, SBJ’s New Voices Under 30, and Law360’s Rising Star in Sports. She also contributes to legal education as an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law and serves on the Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Program Advisory Board.

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Krista holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and a law degree from Stanford Law School.