Mr. Gordon is a business attorney and corporate governance expert. He brings a unique combination of over 35 years experience as a board member, senior corporate executive, national seminar speaker, expert witness, entrepreneur and private practice and corporate attorney in companies ranging from the NYSE listed Gordon Jewelry Corporation (founded by his grandfather in 1905 and formerly the nation’s second largest retail jeweler with over 660 stores and $500M sales), to the Patton Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded in Washington, D.C. by the granddaughter of General George S. Patton, Jr.
Education: Harvard University, B.A. 1975 cum laude
University of Texas School of Law, J.D. 1978
Licensed in: Texas, California and Massachusetts
Expertise: Business law, corporate governance (i.e., balancing the interests of shareholders, management, customers, suppliers, financiers, government and the community)
Mr. Gordon represents companies, families and individuals in all types of business related matters and represents companies, boards, board members and shareholders in all types of corporate governance related matters. He also educates boards of public and private companies (including non-profits) on best corporate governance practices.
Creator/Presenter - Director Education Program:Mr. Gordon created ½ day director education program certified by ISS (Institutional Shareholder Services):
“The Bucks Stops in the Boardroom – Basic Training” featuring his exclusive:
Ten Commandments for the Board
Director Bill of Rights
Words that Work in the Boardroom
He has presented the program to boards of directors of NYSE and NASDAQ listed companies across the nation, including Constellation Energy, National Oilwell and Fairchild Semiconductor, as well as to boards of small private and non-profit companies.
Media Appearances: Mr. Gordon has been interviewed by CBS and NBC TV, the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Newswire and other media on corporate governance topics.
Published Articles or Interviews:
Dubious Distinctions in Corporate Governance
A Missing Element in Effective Corporate Governance
It Was a Brief and Stormy Courtship... Did Chapman Capital Want to Acquire Footstar or Take Money and Run
Calpers wants to restructure Gateway’s Board of Directors
Peregrine vows to do business while in bankruptcy
Pressure’s on Boards to Right Corporate Woes
Peregrine fires KPMG, looks for new auditor
Forget Lerach’s Kind Word and a Gun
Corporate Governance…Lessons learned from Enron
Work Experience: Law, retail jewelry, television production and distribution, national speaker, lobbying, licensing
USA’s second largest retail jeweler with over $500M annual sales
Operated over 660 stores in 44 states and Puerto Rico in three divisions
6,000 employees
Acquired by Zale Corporation in 1989
Mr. Gordon’s positions at GJC included:
Member of Board of Directors
Member of Executive Management Committee
Member of Real Estate Committee
Executive Vice President
Senior Vice President – Corporate Development
Vice President – Corporate Development
Corporate Counsel
Mr. Gordon’s responsibilities at GJC included:
As member of Executive Management Committee, jointly ran day-to-day operations of GJC
As EVP, directed Guild Jewelry Division with overall P&L responsibility for 220 stores with 1,500 employees and $135M annual sales
As member of Real Estate Committee, decided all store openings and closings, and real estate purchases and sales
As corporate counsel, coordinated legal aspects of company operations including SEC reporting, real estate acquisition and development, store operations, vendor contracts, insurance and financial matters, and litigation
Created strategic partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation based on cause-related marketing that raised over $1.5M in first two years through annual “Diamond Walks” in 50 cities throughout USA
Licensed trademarks from NFL Properties and Miss Universe, Inc. to create exclusive jewelry collections
1989-1997 CEO and General Counsel, Veritas Entertainment, Inc., a private TV production company and consulting firm in Houston, Texas. Projects included:
Securing the rights from National Football Leagues Properties to produce a children’s animated television series
Producing and syndicating a half-hour weekly television series and one-hour football special for the Southwest Conference
Lobbying the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C. on behalf of television programmers to lease access on cable systems nationwide
Representing an independent retail jewelry company in its merger with a national chain
Representing an environmental company in securing private placement financing and a permit to operate a medical waste incineration facility
1997-2001 CEO, COO, Legal Counsel, Printable.com, San Diego, California, based internet company specializing in on-line software applications for the commercial printing industry
2001-2003 Klinedinst P.C. (law firm), San Diego, California, Of Counsel - corporate governance, business law and civil litigation practice
2003-2004 Mulvaney, Kahan & Barry LLP (law firm), San Diego, California, Of Counsel - corporate governance, business law and civil litigation practice
2004–2015 Douglas B. Gordon PC (law firm), San Diego, California and Houston, Texas, Founder/Owner - corporate governance, business law and civil litigation practice
2015-present Harberg, Huvard, Jacobs and Wadler LLP (law firm), Houston, Texas, Of Counsel – corporate governance, business law and civil litigation practice
Community and Professional Affiliations:
The Patton Foundation, San Diego, California. – Former Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of 501(c) (3) non-profit founded by granddaughter of General George S. Patton, Jr. to perpetuate the memory of the sacrifice of the WWII Generation
San Diego County Bar Association, Business and Corporate Law Section, Past Chair
Corporate Directors Forum, San Diego, California, former Member of Board of Directors and Membership Chair of non-profit corporation dedicated to educating board members
Pepperdine University’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, attended six-day mediation training in Malibu, California
California State University – San Marcos, Former Member of Dean of College of Business Administration’s Advisory Board and Chair of Nominating/Governance Committee
Creator and presenter of live ½ hour program: “Normandy Loves US…The Untold Story”…the Norman people tell why they love Americans today…even 70 years after their liberation by Allied soldiers in WWII…presented multiple times in France and Southern California.
Harvard University Club of San Diego, California, former Member of Board of Directors
Classroom of the Future Foundation, San Diego, former member of the Board of Directors
Rotary Club (No.33), San Diego, California, former Member
Holiday Bowl (football game), San Diego, California, former “Red Coat” Committee Member
Harvard University Club of Houston, Texas, Past President and Board Member
Houston Bar Association and Corporate Counsel Section, Member
U.S. Court of Appeals – 5th Circuit, admitted to practice
