UW Law alumni make their mark in unique ways.
Our diverse and intellectually rigorous curriculum, combined with a commitment to student achievement, means University of Wisconsin Law School graduates can literally go anywhere, from the courtroom to the classroom to the stage or even to holding the Stanley Cup. With a degree from UW Law, the possibilities are endless.
Katrina McCann ’10 and Mario Morris ’06 share their unique paths to success and how their experiences at UW Law shaped their careers.
By Brian Walker, Jennie Broecker and Kassandra Tuten
Katrina McCann ’10 works as senior counsel at Proskauer, a leading international law firm in New York. This summer, she added another experience — winning a Tony Award for co-producing the 2024 Best Play “Stereophonic.”
Question: When and where did your interest in theater start?
Answer: I grew up going to high school, local and touring productions, and renting countless movie musicals. While my family were casual theatergoers, I took it a step (or several!) further. Unlike many, the draw for me was not necessarily the thought of being on stage — although I did a bit of that, and learned a lot – but simply being involved in telling stories in this unique way.
Q: How did it lead you to working on this play?
A: I have invested in numerous commercial Broadway productions and have become increasingly involved with nonprofit theater. Yet, before “Stereophonic” I had not made the leap to “producer.” I enjoy analyzing and investing in shows, but taking my own financial risks as an individual investor is very different than co-producing, which involves inviting other people to put money into a project. I wanted to take that next step in a very measured way and wait for the right show to come along — something that I believed in artistically that also made sense financially. “Stereophonic” was on my radar early because I am on the board of Playwrights Horizons, the theater that helped develop the show and produced it off-Broadway. I knew as soon as I read the script that it was a beautiful piece — although I was VERY curious about how they would actually pull it off. Watching audiences and critics fall in love with the show at Playwrights Horizons was wonderful! Once it became clear that the production was transferring to Broadway, I knew I wanted to be involved.
Q: How would you describe your role/involvement with “Stereophonic?”
A: The talented staff at Playwrights Horizons developed and produced the extraordinary off-Broadway run, which was then transferred to Broadway by a group of commercial lead producers. These are the people who oversee both the larger strategy and logistical matters and the day-to-day business of putting the show together and keeping it running. As a co-producer, my role is mostly financial — helping to find interested investors and managing the communications between them and the production. Since most investors are coming from outside of the theater world, communication and adding context can be crucial to their experience — everything from explaining budget elements and weekly grosses, to thinking about ticket-buying patterns and awards potential, to preparing them for what to expect at a Broadway opening night. For many, this is their first experience on the business side of Broadway, and learning about the process is part of the fun!
Q: Why is your commitment to Playwrights Horizons important to you?
A: Playwrights Horizons is my cultural home base, and I’m honored to serve on its board. This off-Broadway nonprofit theater company has dedicated over 50 years to developing and producing daring new American work, and it has stayed true to its mission and the needs of playwrights and theater-makers. Playwrights Horizons is a vital part of the theater ecology, not just in New York, but globally. Supporting this organization and serving on its board have been incredibly rewarding, and I am surrounded by colleagues who share these values and spend a lot of time and energy focused on upholding them in a sustainable way.
Q: What was your reaction to “Stereophonic” being nominated for Best Play in the Tony Awards and then winning?
A: By the time nominations and the awards ceremony rolled around, the play’s success was maybe the least suspenseful aspect of the Broadway season. But that didn’t make it any less thrilling! I wasn’t able to attend the awards, which were the day after my sister’s wedding, but I watched the broadcast from Wisconsin, surrounded by a cheering section of family and friends.
Q: How do you describe the play and its appeal?
A: “Stereophonic” is a challenge to describe! It’s a play by David Adjmi about a band recording its follow-up album in the mid-1970s. While it is not a musical, it features some incredible music by Will Butler (the cast album is going to top my streaming lists for the year). The play captures the beauty, drudgery, pressure and torture of a group of people trying to make art together. It offers an incisive “fly on the wall” view of the band and the sound engineers writing and recording a hit album — they experience sublime moments, increasing fame and days of bickering and monotony. And the technical elements are stunning! They built a soundproof recording booth on stage, and everything is performed and recorded live every night.
Q: How have you balanced your career growth in law with this?
A: I have been with Proskauer nearly my entire legal career — including as a summer associate attending my first Tony Awards, courtesy of the Broadway League. I have an extremely fulfilling career specializing in employee benefits and executive compensation, supported by brilliant and dedicated colleagues. But in addition to practicing law at the highest level, so many of my colleagues also have fascinating hobbies and lives outside of the office. I’m fortunate to work for a firm that values its attorneys as multi-dimensional people who bring their diverse interests and lived experiences to their practice.
Q: What is the best part of your job at Proskauer right now?
A: While it may sound cliché, the best part of my job is the people I get to work with — both as colleagues and clients. I also love that my job involves highly technical rules and systems while also being very people-forward. I get to help organizations design benefits packages to meet the needs of their workforce, navigate and decipher the technical aspects and communicate with their employees.
Q: What is your favorite memory from your time at UW Law? Is there anything you miss most about Wisconsin?
A: I have so many wonderful memories from my time at the University of Wisconsin — both as an undergrad and in law school. I met some of my closest friends in law school, and while I miss seeing them weekly, we stay connected through texts, Zooms and visits. A group of us had a weekly movie night, featuring a game with a byzantine set of rules that only a bunch of law students could devise. We revived this tradition on Zoom during the pandemic, which has been a fun (and not infrequently ridiculous) way to stay in touch as everyone’s families grow.
Mario Morris’ ’06 experience as a University of Wisconsin Law School student has carried over well to his position as the NCAA’s Senior Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer.
He said being open to his Wisconsin classmates, who may have had different opinions than him and tackled challenges differently, sharpened him for his financial career.
“I take that open approach when building a team or solving problems to this day,” said Morris, who received his Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy analysis at University of Wisconsin this year, his law degree from UW Law in 2006 and his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Alabama in 1994. “We need diverse experiences, views and opinions as we search for good solutions.”
Morris was a starting linebacker on Alabama’s football team, playing on the Crimson Tide’s national championship team in 1992.
Before joining the NCAA’s national office in Indianapolis two years ago, Morris was executive deputy athletics director at the University of Notre Dame, responsible for the Athletics Department’s business and revenue-generation functions.
He was previously CFO of Wisconsin’s Athletic Department, overseeing its $150 million financial and operations budget.
Morris was selected as the College Athletic Business Management Association’s Manager of the Year in 2021. In 2020, he was chosen for the NCAA Pathway Program, which is designed to elevate senior-level athletics administrators to the next step in their careers.
Question: What was your dissertation on?
Answer: It is titled, “Are College Student-Athletes Employees? A Legal Historical Analysis of College Student-Athlete Employment Claims.” My research focuses on the factors courts have used to determine whether student-athletes are employees.
Q: As the NCAA’s Senior Vice President for Administration and CFO, what are the highlights of what you are responsible for?
A: I provide strategic leadership and oversight of all financial activity and administrative operations for the association. This includes oversight of finance, accounting, human resources, technology, purchasing, travel and risk management. I also provide guidance for revenue-generating activities and transformational issues such as Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).
Q: How would you describe the current financial health of the NCAA and why?
A: Strong. Our current budget is about $1.3 billion. Although we are facing some headwinds with litigation and potential settlements, we have a good plan to address those issues while remaining fiscally sound.
Q: What changes have you helped implement at the NCAA in your two years with the organization, and what have the results of those changes been?
A: One of the reasons I joined the NCAA was to help impact the lives of our 500,000-plus student-athletes. I am proud to have helped lead the adoption and implementation of post-eligibility insurance for all our student-athletes. This program will pay for athletic-related injuries for up to two years after a student-athlete separates from their institution.
We also renewed our contract with ESPN, which has an average annual value of more than $150 million. This is 3.5 times the value of the original agreement. It will provide resources for all our championships and help us establish a Women’s Basketball Performance fund, which will be distributed to schools competing in the Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Q: What have been the greatest challenges of your job, and what can be done to overcome them?
A: With any organization, change is hard. Intercollegiate athletics has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. The NCAA membership has to change to meet the changing times in college athletics. Our president, Charlie Baker, has been instrumental in helping both the membership and internal staff recognize that we must change going forward. I believe that if we keep the student-athlete at the core of our mission, there is not much we cannot do.
Q: Who during your time at Wisconsin had the greatest impact on you and why?
A: I cannot choose just one person. I hold two degrees from the University of Wisconsin, and I worked for nearly 10 years in the Wisconsin Athletic Department. I am grateful for all those experiences and thankful for everyone who impacted my life during my time at UW.
Q: What has been the most rewarding aspects of your NCAA position?
A: Being a part of the NCAA during these transformational times is exciting. Knowing that I am helping to provide solutions for the future of intercollegiate athletics is rewarding. I received my first higher education opportunity largely because I was a student-athlete, and that experience changed the trajectory of my life. I am happy that I can play a part in providing those opportunities for others.
Q: What’s your current focus and initiatives when it comes to NIL?
A: Currently, we are working to implement the NIL Platform, which will have the terms for all NIL agreements above a certain threshold. The platform will also include references and ratings for service providers and educational content for student-athletes. One of the challenges with NIL is that no one knows what to believe about the agreements that students are signing as there is no one verifiable source of information.
Q: What are a couple of misconceptions about NIL?
A: I think many believe the answers to NIL are black and white. It is such a new area that there is a lot of gray, and the rules and processes are developing right before our eyes. There will be stability in a few years, and we will look back at this time with less angst.
Q: On a personal level, do you have an overcoming testimony you’d like to share in which you faced a serious trial in your life and overcame it?
A: I believe that losing my mother the spring before I entered Law School had a profound effect on my life. I couldn’t have weathered that storm without my Law School classmates and professors. They became the support and community that I needed.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: As I reflect on where I am today, I realize that I would not be here without my family, friends, classmates, teammates, teachers, coaches, professors and peers who inspired, supported and encouraged me along the way. Now, I try to be that inspiration for others.
