Welcome New Partners

Flatiron Law Group is pleased to announce that Russell Murphy and Don Locke have joined the firm as partners. Russell will lead Flatiron’s Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice in Silicon Valley. Don will lead the firm’s practice in Raleigh and Research Triangle Park.

 

Russell Murphy is a partner in the firm’s Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice based in Silicon Valley. Russell brings over thirty years’ experience working in private practice and as outside general counsel, advising innovative companies in the software and hardware, wireless/ IoT, and ecommerce spaces through their lifecycle—from formation and launch, through key milestones to exit. Russell supports clients across a broad range of transactions, and he has a focus on the intersection of law, business technology and data, providing product counseling and strategic advice to multidisciplinary founder teams.

Russell previously served as the managing member of Murcada Ventures, a seed stage venture investment and strategic advisory business, and at times held interim executive operational positions and served as general counsel for Murcada portfolio companies. Russell is intimately familiar with the daily challenges entrepreneurs face in building businesses at the leading edge of innovation.

Russell has spent many years living in Asia and working closely with international clients, lawyers in global law firms and foreign regulatory authorities. He is a frequent speaker, and has taught MBA level courses on international law, strategy, and early-stage business financings.

Education

  • J.D., University of Washington
  • MBA University of Washington
  • BA (Economics) University of Washington

Publications and Presentations
“Angel Stage Investment and Business Incubation “University of Washington CASRIP (Center for Advanced Study and Research on Innovation Policy) seminar program, Summer 2016

“International Legal Opinion Practice”

“Comparison of Contract Damages Provisions in Common Law, Civil Law, and Socialist Legal Systems“

“Law Practice Ownership Structures” – Guest Speaker Program, The National Legal Institute of Mongolia, 2012

“Using Corporate Venture Capital for Early-Stage Companies”, Puget Sound Business Journal, 1997

Don Locke is a partner of Flatiron Law Group. He is an experienced corporate, SEC, mergers and acquisitions, and finance attorney with over 30 years’ experience in major law firms and as a General Counsel with a developer of wireless applications and an entity working on innovative financing techniques. Don’s practice focuses on technology companies, and he advises them on a broad range of issues, including private and public equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions, private and public company boards of directors’ issues, corporate governance and policies, SEC reporting, and as an outsourced general counsel.

Prior to joining Flatiron, Don spent three years advising public and private companies on a variety of issues. His clients included pharmaceutical development companies, pharmaceutical contract research organizations, software development companies, Fintech entities, nanotechnology companies, alternative fuel companies and waste products-to-energy companies.

Don served as the General Counsel of Oasys Mobile, a publicly-traded producer of some of the top selling wireless applications and games in the U.S., and as the Associate General Counsel of Zapata, a NYSE-traded organization.

Don has also practiced law with international law firms Winstead P.C. in Texas (formerly Winstead, McGuire, Sechrest & Minick) and as Of Counsel with Kilpatrick Townsend in North Carolina. Don’s practice with these law firms focused on many issues for technology companies, including SEC practice, IPOs, SEC reporting, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance.

Don is a frequent speaker on SEC, public and private finance, and corporate governance issues.

EDUCATION

  • J.D., University of South Carolina School of Law; Magna Cum Laude.
  • M.B.A., University of South Carolina School of Business (Concentration in Corporate Finance); Summa Cum Laude; Graduated First in Class; Beta Gamma Sigma; Omicron Delta Kappa.
  • B.A., Furman University, (Business and Political Science); Magna Cum Laude; Phi Beta Kappa.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Texas Bar Association
South Carolina Bar Association