Kirkland Aiding Navy SEAL Nonprofit's Governance Policies

In this article for Law360, Bob Hayward discusses his pro bono work for the Navy SEAL Foundation and how Kirkland is helping the foundation's board develop its governance policies, practices and procedures.

Bob Hayward is a Chicago-based capital markets partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP who advises publicly traded corporations and private equity funds on securities, corporate governance and general corporate matters.

Bob Harward is a retired U.S. Navy vice admiral and Navy SEAL, who is a former deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command and set the world record for highest parachute jump at Mount Everest.

One night about six years ago, the two Bobs found themselves sitting next to each other at a fundraiser in Chicago.

"I'm sitting at a table with a highly decorated SEAL, whose name is Bob Harward, and my name is Bob Hayward," the Kirkland partner told Law360 Pulse in an interview Friday. "What are the chances that two people from totally different backgrounds are sitting at a table next to one another with basically the exact name other than one letter? You can imagine we had a really good laugh."

Kirkland's Hayward would have no further contact with Harward until last year, when they were reintroduced by a mutual friend.

At the time, Harward was the chair of the Navy SEAL Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports active duty and veteran members of the Naval Special Warfare community and their families. He was hoping to talk to an expert in governance for help with the foundation, which started as a small nonprofit in 2000 and had grown into one of the highest-performing charitable organizations in the world, according to the law firm.

Hayward — who spends his days advising boards and management teams with some of the largest companies in the United States — offered to help the foundation's board develop its governance policies, practices and procedures at zero cost to the foundation.

"It was a real opportunity to do a pro bono project that I was comfortable with, and more importantly, where I knew I could make a real difference and give back to a community that sacrifices so much for us," Hayward said.

Today, the foundation's board is a mix of retired SEALs and various business owners, plus executives of public companies or private equity firms.

Hayward's pro bono team includes corporate partner A.J. Million and Parker Davis, a midlevel capital markets associate. The trio have been focusing on adapting and evolving the foundation's governance and structure to better align with its current-day prominence.

Hayward said he loves the pro bono project because it's an exercise very similar to what he does with his own clients, especially public company clients.

"What we did for the Navy SEAL Foundation is no different than what public companies do all the time with their boards," he said. "The heart of the project is just to make sure that their governance and their structure reflects how the organization has evolved and grown over the years."

Kirkland has a long history of giving back to military service members. Since 2020, over 900 Kirkland lawyers and staff across 12 different offices have supported 20 different U.S. military organizations, including the Navy SEAL Foundation, on a pro bono basis, Hayward said.

The Kirkland partner added that although neither he nor his immediate family members are veterans, the cause is very close to his heart.

"I have the utmost respect for our active military members and veterans," he said. "I know that I can never repay them for their sacrifices, but wherever I can make a difference in their lives, whether it's through my own time or through financial contributions, it's certainly my honor and privilege to give back, and that is the heart of this project."

Hayward noted that the SEALs are the most elite fighting force in the world, tasked with executing some of the highest risk, no-fail operations in history on behalf of the United States.

"A few of their missions, like the take-out of Osama bin Laden, have been publicized, but the vast majority of their missions remain unknown to the public," he said.

Today, the foundation supports more than 30 comprehensive programs that keep the warriors in the fight and assist them in transitioning to the civilian sector when that time comes.

"And just as important," Hayward said, "help their families every step of the way, including when our heroes don't come home."