Krishna Srinivasan
About Krishna Srinivasan
Krishna Srinivasan (age 52) is a Class III independent director of CS Disco, Inc. (LAW), serving on the board since December 2013; he previously served as Chair of the Board from May 2021 to May 2024. He is a Founding Partner of LiveOak Venture Partners (co-founded January 2012), with prior roles at Austin Ventures (Partner, 2000–2010), Motorola, and SEMATECH. He holds a B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering (IIT), an M.S. in Operations Research (University of Texas at Austin), and an MBA (Wharton) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| CS Disco, Inc. (LAW) | Director; Chair of Board (prior) | Director since Dec 2013; Chair May 2021–May 2024 | Compensation Committee Chair; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Member |
| LiveOak Venture Partners | Founding Partner | Jan 2012–present | Co-manages ultimate GP; significant shareholder in LAW via LiveOak entities |
| Austin Ventures | Partner | 2000–2010 | Technology investing; portfolio board service |
| Motorola | Various roles | Not disclosed | Technology/operations exposure |
| SEMATECH | Various roles | Not disclosed | Technology/operations exposure |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Miracle Foundation (non-profit) | Chairman of the Board | Present (date not disclosed) | Governance and social impact oversight |
| LiveOak Venture Partners | Founding Partner | Jan 2012–present | Co-manager of ultimate GP over LiveOak entities holding ~13.3% of LAW |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board affirmed Srinivasan is independent under NYSE standards .
- Board class/term: Class III director; current term continues until the 2027 Annual Meeting .
- Committee assignments: Chair, Compensation Committee; Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
- Attendance: In 2024, each director (including Srinivasan) attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings; the board met nine times, Audit met eight, Compensation five, Nominating four. Eight of nine directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Board leadership: Current Chair is independent (Scott Hill); executive sessions of independent directors are held regularly and moderated by the Chair .
- Risk oversight: Audit oversees financial/cyber/privacy/compliance and related-party transactions; Compensation oversees compensation risk and clawbacks; Nominating oversees governance and conflicts .
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Policy Amount | Vesting/Terms | Srinivasan’s Actual 2024 Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| General annual cash retainer | $35,000 | Paid in cash; may elect RSU in lieu | $0 (ineligible through 2026 per policy carve-out) |
| Independent Chair retainer | $42,500 | Cash | N/A (not Chair in 2024) |
| Audit Committee member | $10,000 | Cash | $0 (ineligible) |
| Compensation Committee member | $6,000 | Cash | $0 (ineligible) |
| Nominating Committee member | $4,000 | Cash | $0 (ineligible) |
| Compensation Committee Chair | $12,000 | Cash; chair fee in lieu of member fee | $0 (ineligible) |
| Nominating Committee Chair | $8,000 | Cash | N/A |
Note: “Fund investor affiliation” carve-out—non-employee directors affiliated with fund investors and serving as of policy effective date are not eligible for cash retainers or refresher RSUs until the 2026 Annual Meeting . The 2024 director compensation table shows Srinivasan received no fees or stock awards .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | Policy Value | Vesting | Srinivasan’s 2024 Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial RSU (on first election/appointment) | $300,000 grant-date fair value | 12 equal quarterly installments | Not disclosed for Srinivasan (pre-policy window); none granted in 2024 |
| Annual refresher RSU | $150,000 grant-date fair value | 4 equal quarterly installments (or before next AGM) | $0 (ineligible until 2026) |
- No director performance-linked metrics (e.g., revenue, EBITDA, TSR) are disclosed for board compensation; clawback compliance is overseen by Compensation Committee for executives and directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship | Details |
|---|---|---|
| LiveOak Entities (LOVP funds and co-invest vehicles) | Significant shareholder; Srinivasan co-manages ultimate GP | LiveOak entities collectively own 8,104,869 LAW shares (13.3%); investment/voting decisions made by Srinivasan and Venu Shamapant as managers of the ultimate GP . |
| Bessemer Venture Partners entities | Significant shareholder; another director affiliated (Robert Goodman) | Bessemer entities own 8,652,826 shares (14.2%); Goodman disclaims beneficial interest beyond pecuniary interest . |
| The Stephens Group via SG-DISCO, LLC | Significant shareholder | SG-DISCO, LLC owns 7,796,632 shares (12.8%) . |
- Potential interlocks/conflicts: Srinivasan chairs Compensation while affiliated with a ~13.3% shareholder (LiveOak); board affirms independence under NYSE, and Nominating Committee considers conflicts in director evaluations .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology investing and board service across numerous portfolio companies; prior operating experience at Motorola and SEMATECH .
- Education: IIT (B.Tech, Mechanical Engineering); UT Austin (M.S., Operations Research); Wharton (MBA) .
- Non-profit governance: Chairman, Miracle Foundation .
- Governance qualifications: Compensation Committee Chair; member of Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krishna Srinivasan | 8,105,417 | 13.3% | Includes LiveOak entities (aggregate) and 548 shares held by child . |
| Directors & Officers (group, 14 persons) | 9,847,074 | 16.1% | Aggregate includes shares/RSUs/options per footnote . |
- Hedging/pledging policy: Company prohibits hedging, shorting, trading derivatives, buying on margin, and pledging shares as collateral; no pledges disclosed for Srinivasan .
- Vested/unvested breakdown, options: No director RSUs/options disclosed for Srinivasan in 2024 due to ineligibility; beneficial ownership reflects fund holdings and child’s shares .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independence affirmed despite major fund affiliation; extensive technology and investment experience; prior board chair, indicating deep company knowledge .
- Committee leadership: Chairs Compensation; sits on Nominating & Governance; board practices include executive sessions and clear risk oversight allocation .
- Alignment: High beneficial ownership (~13.3%) via LiveOak entities, signaling skin-in-the-game; hedging/pledging prohibited company-wide to preserve alignment .
-
Risks/RED FLAGS:
- Related-party employment: Srinivasan’s son (Rohit) employed by LAW; compensation in 2024 totaled $108,874—requires continued audit oversight for arm’s-length terms . — RED FLAG
- Concentrated ownership and Compensation Chair role: Affiliation with a 13.3% shareholder while chairing Compensation may raise perceived influence concerns; mitigants include NYSE independence determination and governance committee conflict reviews . — Monitor
- Director pay structure carve-out: Ineligibility for cash/RSU through 2026 for certain fund-affiliated directors (including Srinivasan) reduces direct pay but underscores investor affiliation; transparency maintained via policy disclosure .
-
Engagement and attendance: Meets 75%+ attendance threshold; board and committees active (9/8/5/4 meetings in 2024), with broad investor communications and executive sessions .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Srinivasan 2024 | Policy Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Cash retainers and committee fees | $0 (ineligible until 2026 per policy carve-out) | Policy amounts: $35,000 general; $12,000 Comp Chair; $4,000 Nominating member |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Srinivasan 2024 | Policy Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Director equity grants (RSUs) | $0 (ineligible until 2026) | Initial $300,000; annual $150,000; standard vesting schedules |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Organization | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| LiveOak Venture Partners | Founding Partner | Co-manages vehicles that beneficially own ~13.3% of LAW; voting/dispositions by Srinivasan and Venu Shamapant . |
| The Miracle Foundation | Chairman | Non-profit governance . |
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (Krishna Srinivasan) | 8,105,417 shares |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | 13.3% |
| Shares held by immediate family | 548 shares (child) |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited by company policy; no pledges disclosed |
Governance Notes on Compensation Committee
- Composition: Srinivasan (Chair), Goodman, Hill; all independent; non-employee directors under Rule 16b-3 .
- Consultant: Compensia engaged; peer group review; assists in compensation strategy and programs .
- Responsibilities: CEO/director pay; equity plans; peer group; ownership guidelines; clawback oversight .
- Processes: Regular executive sessions; quarterly cadence; authority to retain advisers .
Overall implication: Srinivasan’s substantial fund-linked ownership aligns long-term interests but introduces perceived conflict risks—particularly as Compensation Chair and major shareholder affiliate. The board’s independence determinations, conflict review processes, and director pay carve-out, plus transparent related-party disclosure (son’s employment), are important mitigants; continued monitoring of related-party items and compensation decisions is warranted to sustain investor confidence .