Withers LLP

Corporate

Partner, Global head of the founder practice

As head of our founder practice, a niche practice focused on personal general counsel services for company founders, chief executive officers, venture capitalists, senior executives and wealthy families, Doug's core practice is a combination of corporate, employment and executive compensation where he advises clients personally on M&A transactions and complex employment law and corporate issues. Doug also leverages the firm's strengths in litigation, trust and estates, tax, family law, real estate, crypto and digital assets and charities and charitable giving to meet a wide spectrum of needs of individual private clients.

Doug has extensive experience advising emerging growth companies, often as outside general counsel in the areas of corporate law, privacy, data security and technology transactions. Doug has been general counsel of three startups, including the first GC at LinkedIn and the first lawyer to represent LinkedIn when the company was founded and Nauto, Inc., a big data/AI company in the autonomous vehicle space funded by Greylock Partners and Softbank (Doug also represented this company since it was founded). Doug often draws on his experience as general counsel to tech companies when serving as personal general counsel to founders.

Doug is a frequent speaker on personal legal issues for founders and executives and features videos for founders and executives and students on his YouTube Channel on this topic. He is recognized in the Chambers USA 2024 Guide as a top lawyer in Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation. Since leaving LinkedIn, Doug also regularly gives back to students by speaking at colleges and law schools on how to develop a professional brand management strategy and execute it online and offline to get a job. Doug's full bio can be viewed here on LinkedIn.

Bar Association of San Francisco

American Bar Association

CJM Board of Trustees

Washington University in St. Louis, B.A.

Tulane Law School, J.D.