HIWU General Counsel Pujals Retires, Winston Succeeds

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) announced today that Michelle Pujals has retired as the organization's general counsel after serving four years in the position. HIWU has named Janelle L. Winston as Pujals' successor, effective immediately. Pujals joined HIWU after spending 20 years with the National Basketball Association's (NBA) legal department, where she oversaw the development and administration of anti-drug programs for NBA players, coaches, and trainers. She was a member of the NBA/National Basketball Players Association Prohibited Substances Committee and the NBA Crisis Management Team. "Michelle has been a key leader for the HIWU team since we were established in 2022," said Ben Mosier, executive director of HIWU. "She has played an instrumental part in the buildout of HIWU and the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program and ensuring that the Rules are applied and enforced correctly and consistently. "HIWU will miss the unwavering commitment to integrity and fairness that Michelle brought to her role each day." Winston joins HIWU as general counsel after spending nearly a decade as counsel for the National Football League (NFL), where she administered its policies on substances of abuse and performance-enhancing substances. She also represented the NFL and its Member Clubs in labor-management disputes, conducted trainings for coaches and players on adherence to the NFL's personal conduct and gambling policies, and served as a board member for the Partnership for Clean Competition. Earlier in her career, Winston was senior labor relations counsel at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority - New York City Transit, where she supervised labor attorneys, advised leadership on disciplinary matters, and delivered comprehensive counsel to hearing officers and labor relations teams. Winston has served as an adjunct professor at Fordham School of Law since 2007, where she teaches Fundamental Lawyering Skills. "Janelle has long worked with Drug Free Sport International, HIWU's parent company, through her work at the NFL, and she brings extensive experience in both anti-doping matters and legal leadership to our team," said Mosier. "We are excited for her to dive in and positively affect the future of the Program." "I am thrilled to join HIWU at such an exciting time," said Winston. "Coming from the NFL, I understand what it means to protect the integrity of a sport that millions of fans hold dear—and I bring that same sense of duty to this new role. I'll admit, after years in professional football, I never imagined I'd find athletes bigger than NFL linemen, but here we are, and I could not be more humbled or energized by the challenge ahead."