MEDIA RELEASE
Thomas A. Dukes, Jr. appointed Director of tech-law firm after serving senior roles for the US Departments of Justice, State and Defense, founding US health-tech startup CEO.
Sydney, November 14, 2023 – Emerging global technology and business law firm, Biztech Lawyers, is pleased to announce the appointment of Thomas A. Dukes, Jr. (“Tom”) as Director to strengthen US operations, support business development, and bolster the firm’s general counsel, cybersecurity, privacy and government regulation bench.
The appointment comes as Biztech Lawyers has maintained a stable and growing client base in 2023 despite a pullback in technology sector investment. The company continues to advise rising star clients including Rokt, Bonza, OneVentures and 777 Partners, as well as prepare the coming generation of unicorns for their next stage of growth.
The former US Air Force Brigadier General and career lawyer has spent nearly three decades working in the senior echelons of the US Government on cutting edge law enforcement, national security, cyber and diplomatic law, policy and strategy issues. His roles included serving as a senior prosecutor in the US Department of Justice Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section, as a court-martial trial judge, and as Deputy Coordinator for Cyber Issues to two US Secretaries of State during the Obama administration.
Following his work in government, Mr Dukes moved to the private sector where he served in numerous roles with tech start-ups, including the last three years as Founding Chief Executive Officer for healthcare Data-as-a-Service start-up Veritas Data Research, which caters to numerous leading health care and financial services customers. He also served two years as General Counsel and Chief Quality Officer for cloud-based SafeGuard Cyber, which included managing a successful Series-D capital raise.
Mr Dukes will assist Biztech Lawyers Co-Founder Chris Spillman in managing the firm’s US operations, as well as business development. He will also leverage his extensive experience as a senior cybersecurity expert and technology industry founder to deepen Biztech’s bench on matters of cybersecurity, data privacy, commercial and government contracts, employment law, IP protection, litigation, product development and corporate governance.
“Tom’s senior experience within the Obama Administration on a matter of such critical national and international importance speaks volumes,” said Managing Director Americas Chris Spillman. “But what’s going to make him an exceptional addition to the Biztech Lawyers team is his experience as a technology industry founder and insider. He gets it, he gets our clients.”
“I had the pleasure of meeting Tom for the first time right after travel opened up following COVID-19, and it became very clear very quickly that we wanted to work together when the time was right,” said Biztech Lawyers Founder and Managing Director Anthony Bekker. “We’re thrilled to secure Tom’s incredibly invaluable experience and can’t wait to see him advising our international client base.”
In addition to his government and private sector work, Mr Dukes graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law, and has an Honors Degree from the University of Maine at Farmington. He is also a graduate of the US Air Force Air War College. He has also served as an adjunct law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law and the University of Tartu, Estonia.
“One characteristic that’s served me well throughout my career is curiosity, I love working on every component of a company’s legal needs. This is an essential skill for a startup advisor,” said Mr Dukes. “But I’ve always felt there was a gap for fast-growing technology companies when it comes to a legal advisor that doesn’t wave goodbye at the border. Once I met Chris and Anthony, it was clear to me they had cracked the code, and I’m excited to help to scale this essential business.”
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About Biztech Lawyers
Biztech Lawyers was founded in 2018 by Anthony Bekker and Chris Spillman, based on an identified need for specialist technology lawyers who could act as outside counsel in assisting tech businesses with their commercial legal needs.
Biztech prides itself on understanding the complexities and needs of tech-driven business unlike other legal partners, and boasts deep practical experience gained from top-tier law and strategy consulting, and from operational and leadership roles in scaling some of the world’s most exciting startups.
With offices in Australia, the UK and the United States, Biztech Lawyers has a unique legal and operations skillset, drawing on a network of specialist lawyers and tech partners across the world to support clients through every stage of development.
