Phillips is notable for recommending that Major League Baseball (MLB) umpires resign en masse in 1999.

[1] He graduated from St. Thomas More High School and received both his undergraduate and law degrees from Villanova University.

After getting his legal degree in 1966, Phillips worked for one-and-a-half years in the Philadelphia public defender's office.

[4] At the time, Pilot Freight was struggling to stay afloat in a sea full of transportation providers.

[4] Phillips served as general counsel and executive director of the Major League Umpires Association (MLUA).