Ernest J. Getto

USGA General Counsel 

Ernest J. Getto, of Santa Barbara, Calif., is in his first year as general counsel to the USGA.

Getto has been a managing director of Burford Capital since January 2011, and previously served as global chairman and a partner in the litigation department at Latham & Watkins. Getto has more than 40 years of corporate litigation experience, representing a diverse group of corporate clients including Georgia Pacific, PG&E, Newmont Mining, IBM, Siemens, the Directors Guild of America and many others. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, served on the Board of Governors of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers and is a member of the board of directors of Direct Relief International.

Getto received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 1966 and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University in 1969. He has enjoyed the game of golf for more than 50 years, playing in high school and college, and has served on the boards of Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles and The Valley Club of Montecito in Montecito, Calif., where he is currently a member.

In 2013, Getto will serve on the Amateur Status, Equipment Standards, GHIN and Handicap Committees.