Gregory Miller

Current

Advisor, Google.org at Google

Past

Managing Director, Investments & Legal, Google.org; and Director, Philanthropic Affairs at Google
CFO/Treasurer, Secretary and General Counsel at Google Foundation
Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Founding Officer, General Counsel, etc. at Cometa Networks
Senior Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs at SonicWALL
Partner at Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP
Of Counsel at Latham & Watkins
Associate at Brown & Wood

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Education

University of Virginia School of Law
Colgate University

Recommended

1 person has recommended Gregory

Connections

500+ connections

Industry

Philanthropy

Websites

Gregory Miller’s Summary

From early 2006 through August 2009, Gregory Miller was Managing Director at Google.org leading its philanthropic investments, grants and legal teams. He also was CFO/Treasurer, Secretary and General Counsel of the Google Foundation and chair of its investment committee. Alongside Executive Director Dr. Larry Brilliant, Greg was a member of the senior leadership team helping to develop program and funding initiatives addressing global economic development, global public health and climate change. During that 3+ year tenure, Google.org grew to 42 persons, awarded approximately $100 million with 120 grants, led 11 philanthropic investments, and was recognized in widespread news articles, blogs and conferences recognizing its data-driven, outcome-based approaches.

Beginning 2007, Greg led executive production of "The Final Inch", a film documentary about current polio eradication efforts in India and Pakistan, a film nominated for a 2009 Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) and which won the 2009 Pare Lorentz Award of the International Documentary Association.

Prior to Google, Greg worked with or represented start-up companies, principally with businesses competing in the Internet, networking, communications, and software markets, including as an equity partner with Silicon Valley's Gunderson Dettmer law firm and Of Counsel with Latham & Watkins. In his corporate finance career, he has closed over 100 significant transactions, including over 25 public equity offerings exceeding $3.8 billion, over 30 debt financing transactions exceeding $13.5 billion and more than a dozen acquisitions and reorganizations collectively exceeding $2.5 billion, and has served on boards of directors / advisors with several for-profit and non-profit organizations. Greg as a JD from University of Virginia Law School and has a BA in Economics and Philosophy from Colgate.

Gregory Miller’s Specialties:

Focus on innovation and philanthropy and data-driven analysis; deep understanding of technology development, trends and transactions; corporate legal affairs and executive management; emerging markets; mountaineering

Gregory Miller’s Experience

Advisor, Google.org

Google

(Public Company; GOOG; Internet industry)

August 2009 — Present (5 months)

Google.org aspires to use the power of information and technology to address the global challenges of our age.
Managing Director, Investments & Legal, Google.org; and Director, Philanthropic Affairs

Google

(Public Company; GOOG; Internet industry)

June 2006 — August 2009 (3 years 3 months)

Key member of Google.org 2006 launch team and one of two Managing Directors reporting to Executive Director Dr. Larry Brilliant during his 3-year tenure.

Responsibility for building and leading Google.org's philanthropic investments and grants, strategic partnerships and legal affairs, as well as the financial and legal affairs of the Google Foundation. Currently, Advisory to Google.org.

Accomplishments:

- Executive leadership - Program and organizational leadership addressing global economic development, climate change and global public health.

- Grants management - Built and led grants management team. Awarded approximately $100 million with over 120 grants with milestone performance criteria.

- Philanthropic investing - Built and led philanthropic investments team; closed 11 domestic and int'l investments.

- Partnerships - Developed and managed strategic partnerships, including with the UN and major foundations.

- Legal - Managed philanthropic legal affairs as a philanthropic organization operating within a global public company.

- Chair, Google Inc. Corporate Giving Council, 2008-9.

- Executive producer with Dr. Larry Brilliant and filmmaker / director Irene Taylor Brodsky of The Final Inch portraying modern polio eradication efforts in India, nominated for a 2008 Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject).

- Collaborated with Google's product and engineering teams to advance development of freely-available technology apps for non-profit and philanthropic organizations.

- Hiring committee 2006-2009, growing from 4 to 42 professionals.

- Launched and contributor to Google.org's blog, an early philanthropy blog.

- Selected for / completed 2009 Google Advanced Leadership Lab.

- Initial writer of several speeches and articles for Dr. Larry Brilliant.
CFO/Treasurer, Secretary and General Counsel

Google Foundation

(Philanthropy industry)

June 2006 — August 2009 (3 years 3 months)

Early in the formation of Google.org, Google took the value of 10% of the 3 million shares from Google's initial public stock offering and used those funds to establish the tax-exempt Google Foundation. The Google Foundation is managed by Google.org and supports its mission and core initiatives.

Responsible officer for all facets of this corporate foundation, including board of directors meetings and reports, grants and negotiated agreements, corpus management, federal and state filings, including Forms 990PF and financial audit. Management for board of directors of the Foundation comprised of Google Founders and executive officers.

Chair, Investment Committee of Google Foundation.

Initiated transparency of reporting via www.google.org website.
Partner

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

(Partnership; Law Practice industry)

2004 — June 2006 (2 years )

Co-chair of SF office corporate department and member of 5 person corporate department national steering committee.

Practice areas on behalf of venture investors and companies: corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, SEC compliance, venture finance, complex transactions and joint ventures. Key venture transactions including venture funding for Audyssey Labs and OnFiber Communications' asset acquisition by Qwest.
Founding Officer, General Counsel, etc.

Cometa Networks

(Privately Held; Telecommunications industry)

2003 — 2004 (1 year )

Core launch and executive management team of early stage wifi-hotspot company, funded by Apax Ventures, 3i Ventures, Intel Capital and AT&T; company did not succeed in Series C fundraise in 2004.
Senior Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs

SonicWALL

(Public Company; SNWL; Computer & Network Security industry)

2002 — 2003 (1 year )

Company's initial general counsel leading all legal and corporate affairs. Member of executive management group.

Responsibilities included corporate governance, Secretary for Board of Directors, SEC compliance and reporting, complex transactions and joint ventures. Co-led four acquisitions (US and international) and ensuing integration of people and technology.
Partner

Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP

(Partnership; Law Practice industry)

2000 — 2002 (2 years )

Business law and technology transactions representing start-up, emerging growth and public companies, venture investors and investment banks.

Major M&A transactions include advising:
- Redback Networks (Nasdaq: RBAK) with its acquisition of Canadian company Abatis Systems for $700 million in Redback stock.
- Redback Networks with a “spin-in” put/call structured stock acquisition of Merlin Systems.
- SonicWall (Nasdaq: SNWL) with its acquisition of Phobos Systems for $300 million in SonicWall stock.
- Netopia (Nasdaq: NTPA) with its acquisition by Proxim (Nasdaq: PROX) (acquisition terminated).
- CacheFlow (Nasdaq: CFLO) with its acquisition of Springbank Networks for $100 million in CacheFlow stock.
- Onlink Technologies with its acquisition by Siebel Systems for $600 million of Siebel stock.
- MyPlay, Inc. with its acquisition by Bertelsmann Group for an undisclosed amount of cash.
- Esurance.com in its acquisition by White Mountains Insurance Group for an undisclosed amount of cash.
Of Counsel

Latham & Watkins

(Partnership; Law Practice industry)

1996 — 2000 (4 years )

Financial and strategic transactions for growing venture-backed companies and investors, mostly technology and telecom related.

Led team for IPOs and public offerings for companies in then-emerging technologies: Covad (DSL), Northpoint Communications (DSL), uBid (online auction), InfoSeek (internet search), SonicWall (internet security), Softnet Systems (broadband over cable).

Significant practice representing investment banks in public equity and debt transactions before SEC, and hi-yield private placements, among several industries.

Partner final slate for year 2000 new partners. Launched Latham's pro bono efforts with Legal Services for Children, SF.
Associate

Brown & Wood

(Law Practice industry)

1986 — 1995 (9 years )

Corporate associate for Brown & Wood (pre- acquisition by Sidley), in NYC and SF, handling major debt and equity transactions

Gregory Miller’s Education

University of Virginia School of Law

J.D. , 1983 — 1986

Notes Editor, Journal of Law & Politics
Colgate University

BA , Economics & Philosophy, cum laude , 1979 — 1983

Additional Information

Gregory Miller’s Websites:

Gregory Miller’s Interests:

Interests include innovation in philanthropy, exploration, strumming mandolins, whitewater kayaking, climbing big mountains. Completed 11 marathons. Climbing and summit teams, 1995 International North Ridge Everest Expedition (to 8000 meters without supplemental O2). Expedition leader, 1995 White Wolf Denali, Alaska, and several other US and South American expeditions.

Gregory Miller’s Groups:

Admitted California, New York and Washington State Bar Associations.
Board of Directors or Advisors including with:
- FSG Social Impact Advisors, 2008-present.
- MissionPoint Capital Partners, 2008-present.
- Joie de Vivre Hospitality & Hotels, 2007-09.
- AltaRock Energy, 2008-09.
- Makani Windpower, 2007-09.
- Rex Foundation (Board Finance Comm), 2001-04.
- American Alpine Club, 2003-09.
Fellow, Royal Geographical Society, London, and Explorers Club, NYC
TED