Ronald
L. Olson

Ronald L. Olson is a name partner in the Los Angeles office of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP.  Olson has practiced law with the firm since 1968. Olson’s practice involves a combination of litigation and corporate counseling. He counsels individual executives and boards of directors in a range of matters, including transactions, corporate governance and executive compensation. Olson is ranked among Chambers USA’s Senior Statesmen in California litigation.

Olson is a director of Berkshire Hathaway, Western Asset Trusts and Provivi.  He was a director of Edison International (1995-2014), a director of City National Bank (2001-2014) and a director of The Washington Post Company (2003-2017). He serves as a director of several nonprofits, including the California Institute of Technology and ProPublica.  He was chairman of the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section (1981-1982), the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary (1991-1992), the American Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (1976-1986) and Vice President of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California (1986-1987).  He was also chairman of the board of trustees of Claremont University Center and Graduate School (1984-1994), founding chairman of the board of trustees of Southern California Public Radio (1999-2004), a trustee of the Mayo Clinic (2004-2016), a trustee of the RAND Corporation (1994-2016 and formerly chair) and a director of the Council on Foreign Relations (2002-2010).

Olson received his B.S. degree from Drake University in 1963, his J.D. from the University of Michigan in 1966 and a Diploma in Law from Oxford University, England, in 1967, at which time he was the recipient of a Ford Foundation fellowship.

Olson has received a number of awards for public service and pro bono activities.