Ronald L. Olson (born July 9, 1941) is an American

attorney Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...

and a partner in the Los Angeles office of Munger Tolles & Olson LLP. He was the lead attorney representing the

board of directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

of Yahoo! in connection with Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Yahoo!, and was contemporaneously involved in Yahoo!'s Google outsourcing contract.

Education

Olson received his baccalaureate degree from Drake University, before studying law at Linacre College, University of Oxford, and completing a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School.

Career

In 1967, Olson worked as a civil rights attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. In 1968, he clerked for the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit,

David L. Bazelon David Lionel Bazelon (September 3, 1909 – February 19, 1993) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Education and career Bazelon was born in Superior, Wisconsin, the son of ...

. Olson is a member of the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, mi ...

. In 1968, Olson joined the Los Angeles law firm now known as

Munger, Tolles & Olson Munger, Tolles, & Olson LLP (MTO) is a Californian law firm with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Charles Munger founded the firm in 1962 along with six other attorneys. Legal practice Munger, Tolles & Olson is know ...

, and has practiced there since then. Olson’s field of specialization is litigation and corporate counseling. He counsels individual executives and boards of directors in a range of matters, including corporate governance. In 1997, Olson became a director of Berkshire Hathaway.

Notable activities

As a member of the American Bar Association, Olson was formerly Chairman of the Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary (1991–92), Chairman of the Litigation Section (1981–82), and Chairman of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (1976–86). He also served as Vice President of the Board of Governors of the

State Bar of California The State Bar of California is California's official attorney licensing agency. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, prescribing appropriate disciplin ...

(1986–87). He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Olson was elected to the

American Law Institute The American Law Institute (ALI) is a research and advocacy group of judges, lawyers, and legal scholars established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of United States common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. ...

in 1990 and served as an Adviser on the ALI's Federal Judicial Code project. Olson is a director of Berkshire Hathaway,Berkshire Hathaway Board of Directors
/ref> Edison International,

City National Corporation City National Bank (CNB) is a bank headquartered at City National Plaza in Los Angeles, California. CNB is a subsidiary of the Toronto-based Royal Bank of Canada and it is the 35th largest bank in the United States . CNB has been dubbed the ''"B ...

, The Washington Post Company, and Western Asset Trusts. He serves as a director of several non-profits, including the

RAND Corporation The RAND Corporation (from the phrase "research and development") is an American nonprofit global policy think tank created in 1948 by Douglas Aircraft Company to offer research and analysis to the United States Armed Forces. It is financed ...

(formerly chair), the

Mayo Clinic The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff, ...

, the

Council of Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is a nonprofit organization that is independent and nonpartisan. CFR is based in New York City ...

, Southern California Public Radio (formerly chair), and the California Institute of Technology. He was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Claremont University Center and Graduate School from 1984 to 1994.

References

External links

Ronald L. Olson at mto.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olson, Ronald Living people California lawyers 1941 births University of Michigan Law School alumni People associated with Munger, Tolles & Olson