Paul Johnston

Paul Johnston has a diverse and extensive work experience. Paul started their career as a Corporate Paralegal at Lawcover in 1996 before becoming a Lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University from 1997 to 1998. Paul then trained at Andersen Legal and qualified as an Associate in the Media, Communications, and Technology Department. In 2002, Andersen Legal became Olswang, and Paul continued working as an Associate until 2007. During this time, they advised clients on intellectual property rights, commercial agreements, data protection, and e-commerce issues in the technology and digital media sectors.

In 2005, Paul joined Microsoft on a secondment basis, supporting the enterprise software licensing business and working closely with the MSN and Xbox divisions. Paul also advised on advertising, content agreements, and sponsorship and marketing activities. Following their time at Microsoft, Paul worked as a Senior Associate at CMS (formerly Olswang) from 2007 to 2008, focusing on protecting and exploiting intellectual property rights and advising on a wide range of commercial agreements in the technology and digital media sectors.

In 2008, Paul joined Pacific Capital as the Group General Counsel and Board Member. Paul led a global in-house legal team and provided legal support to the fund's operating entities in various sectors. Paul also managed acquisitions, divestments, and provided strategic legal advice on corporate governance and cross-border litigation. During their tenure, they were appointed to the board positions of all operating entities owned and managed by the fund.

In 2014, Paul joined MongoDB as the Vice President Legal, where they are currently responsible for legal issues within the company. Paul's experience includes business ownership in Johnston Advisors and serving as the Deputy General Counsel for Google's DoubleClick platform, where they managed legal issues across the EMEA region and advised on corporate governance, employment, and privacy-related matters.

Paul Johnston attended the Royal School Armagh from 1985 to 1992, where they completed their A Levels. Paul then pursued a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Government and Law at Ulster University from 1992 to 1995. Following this, Paul attended the University of Strathclyde from 1995 to 1996, where they earned a Master of Laws degree in European Law. Finally, from 1998 to 1999, Paul attended The University of Law, where they obtained a commendation for their Legal Practice Course (LPC).