William Neukom

William H. Neukom is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of the World Justice Project. He is in the Seattle office of the international law firm K&L Gates. He was in the ownership group of the San Francisco Giants major league baseball team (having served as its CEO from 2008 to 2011 and its chairman emeritus during 2012). He is a past president of the American Bar Association (2007-08) and trustee emeritus of Dartmouth College (Chair 2004-07). He recently joined the Board of Fortinet, Inc. Mr. Neukom served as the lead lawyer for Microsoft Corporation from 1978 to 2002. As Executive Vice President of Law and Corporate Affairs, Mr. Neukom managed Microsoft’s legal, government affairs, and philanthropic activities. Mr. Neukom led Microsoft’s efforts to establish, distribute, and protect intellectual property rights around the world, and also led Microsoft’s defense of antitrust claims brought by the United States, the European Union and several other countries. Under Mr. Neukom, Microsoft also initiated the Microsoft Giving Campaign, the Microsoft Matching Gifts Program, the Microsoft Volunteer Program, and Libraries on Line. Mr. Neukom serves several organizations, including the Dean’s Council at Stanford Law School (Chair 2012-), the Board of the Pacific Council on International Policy, the Board of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford, and the Advisory Board of the William D. Ruckleshaus Center. In 1995, Mr. Neukom and his four children founded the Neukom Family Foundation, which supports not-for-profit organizations principally in the fields of health, human services, education, justice, and the environment. Mr. Neukom earned his LL.B. from Stanford University and received his A.B. from Dartmouth College.