OZY MEDIA RETAINS FORMER GOLDMAN CHIEF IP COUNSEL TO ADVISE ON TRANSFORMATIVE WEB 3.0 TECHNOLOGIES

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OZY Media, the award-winning news and entertainment company, has retained internationally renowned intellectual property attorney John A. Squires to advise the company on entering into the "metaverse" with its forward-looking programming, diverse content and media properties. Mr. Squires' engagement is the latest in a series of deep talent team and advisor hires at OZY, including David Lawrence, with whom he worked for over a decade at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Squires will advise OZY's various business lines on harnessing emerging technologies to further its mission and help its loyal and discerning audience see the world more boldly, brightly, and engagingly.

Carlos Watson, founder, and CEO said: "Retaining John is another significant step for OZY. As we continue to build a world-class team, we will be looking to further empower our team, talent, and audience by harnessing the 'new and the next' that Web 3.0 technologies have to offer. John's been at the forefront of disruptive technology shifts from the early days as Web 1.0 reengineered everything on Wall Street. Fast forward to Web 3.0 and what we are seeing now is the metaverse transforming human and information engagement." 

Mr. Squires will be working across the breadth of OZY's media properties and leading-edge programs, such as the OZY Genius awards. "While meta technologies such as NFTs offer promise, it's not without its share of detractors. John brings us not only the benefit of his vast experience and remarkable track record, but he's literally someone who's 'written the book' on technology adoption in transparent, sustainable and compliant ways to meet global standards, regulations and achieve financial and system integrity, " says OZY's Chair, Mike Moe. 

"I'm delighted to be working with OZY in its formidable rebuild and help advise this fiercely talented team as to where the puck appears to be going with the transformative technologies that are Web 3.0. OZY clearly has its finger on the pulse of these transformative times, and this is where the promise of today's transformative technologies can be best realized," remarked Squires.

Squires started his Wall Street career in 2000 as Goldman Sachs' first Chief Intellectual Property Counsel across its global business lines. He obtained Goldman's very first fintech patents and ultimately earned recognition from then-FBI Director Robert Mueller for promoting legal and regulatory compliance and financial integrity. Holding various leadership positions within the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Squires has provided Senate Judiciary Committee and Federal Trade Commission testimony on intellectual property reform. And as part of a select judicial working group, he co-authored a bench book for federal judges on patent financial damage claims. 

Squires returned to private practice in 2010, after initially starting his career at the elite intellectual property boutique firm Morgan & Finnegan in New York. He continued to serve his financial sector clients with a focus on emerging companies and technologies. He is currently head of Emerging Companies and Intellectual Property for Dilworth Paxson LLP in New York and has advised on a broad spectrum of client matters, including the creation of the world's first patent asset backed financing fund. He led the issuance of Goldman's first cryptocurrency patent, SETLcoin. He also co-founded the risk management firm RANE and FinClusive, which brings compliance-centered banking to the globally underserved. Squires currently sits on the board of directors at FinClusive, where he has also co-authored a rule book dedicated to promoting transparency, financial system integrity and regulatory compliance in the use of emerging technologies. 

In addition, Squires teaches international LLM students at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and has written extensively for esteemed periodicals, such as the Wharton Business Review, Knowledge@Wharton and the Tel Aviv University's Coller Venture Review. With his commercial, legal, and academic experience, Squires is globally recognized as one of the thought leaders and outstanding practitioners in decentralized finance and emerging technologies.

Squires is the ninth major team addition to OZY Media in 2022. He follows Courtney Matthews, former Rodale executive, as Vice President of Marketing; Rebecca Louzan, Director of Client Services; David Lawrence, former Goldman Sachs business intelligence chief and federal prosecutor, who joined the OZY board as Senior Advisor; Michael Safran, former Time Inc., Gannett and Bloomberg executive, as Chief Revenue Officer; Mukul Pandya, former Founding Editor-in Chief of Wharton's online business review, as Senior Editor-at-Large; Aparna Ranganathan as Vice President of Human Resources; attorney and global impact leader Beverly Watson as Managing Editor; and Daniel Kelley as Creative Director. The company continues to add staff and interested parties can contact our HR Team at [email protected].

ABOUT OZY

Launched in 2013, OZY has built a diverse and unique voice in media, including 5 newsletters, 12 TV shows, 9 podcasts and 4 festivals. In 2020, OZY won an Emmy Award for its groundbreaking television program, "Black Women OWN the Conversation."

SOURCE OZY Media