Jerry McDevitt Discusses “Unique Relationship” With Vince McMahon

Jerry McDevitt has been serving as WWE's lawyer and the personal attorney for Vince McMahon for 35 years. He recently spoke with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and delved into some of the more colorful stories of his time with the company.

McDevitt was asked if the WWE Chairman was his only client, due to his long-standing relationship with him and the company.

"WWE is a major client, but I have other clients," McDevitt revealed. "I also represented Dr. Cyril Wecht. I'll be 72 in January, so I've been trying to turn it down a little bit as I'm headed into retirement. But because of my longstanding relationship with WWE, I continue to represent them, although I keep telling Vince I do want to retire. Most relationships nowadays with lawyers and publicly traded companies are at the general counsel level. Outside lawyers work with the general counsel of the company and never with the CEO or chairman of the board."

Jerry McDevitt also explained that his contact with the company is directly through Vince McMahon and nobody else within the organization.

"But my contact and my relationship is directly with and to Vince. It always has been. It always will be. That's kind of a unique relationship in the landscape of the law these days for the outside counsel to have that sort of direct relationship," McDevitt said.

McDevitt officially started representing the company in 1987, right around the time WWE was trying to establish the WrestleMania franchise when they were still a privately owned company.

His first interaction with the world of professional wrestling also came in 1987 when he obtained an acquittal by a jury in the trial of a Jim " The Anvil" Neidhart. Neidhart was arrested by the FBI for fighting with a US Air flight attendant in a dispute over drinks during the flight.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for the transcription.