Dr. Walter L. Schindler, PHD, JD
“My overarching purpose is to create a more sustainable future that is also profitable for investors. I plan to achieve this mission by applying a fully integrated business, legal, and sustainability strategy to global energy, agriculture, and water projects, leveraging the latest disruptive technology.”
Dr. Walter L. Schindler is a lawyer, strategic advisor and thought leader with over 38 years’ experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings of securities and sustainability investing.
He worked at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher for 19 years as a corporate attorney, 12 of which were as Partner. From 1996 to 1999, he was the managing partner of the Orange County Office, spearheading the highest growth period in that office’s history to date. He’s served as lead strategic advisor on over 60 M&As, as well as 11 IPOs, assisting in M&A integration, change of management and future growth strategy.
In 2000, Dr. Schindler started SAIL Capital Partners LLC, a pioneering venture capital firm dedicated to sustainable investment. Under his leadership, the firm received prestigious recognition from the World Economic Forum and was chosen to co-lead the first U.S. Trade Mission on Clean Energy to Munich, Germany in 2012.
In 2013-2014, the firm participated in the first Impact & Sustainable Investment Trade Missions to Europe, meeting with investors in Zurich, Amsterdam, and London. He was also invited to, and attended, meetings of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue.
Past Fund Success
1981-1998
Fidelity investments, directed account, resulted in 10x financial return over 17 years.
1995-1998
Co-Founder of hedge fund Aeneas Investments LLC
2008-2011
SAIL Capital Partners LLC top Quartile Performance during years of Found management based on Ernst & Young Audits.
Dr. Schindler attended Yale University from 1969 to 1973 on a full academic scholarship and earned his B.A. magna cum laude in 1973, then returned to Yale in 1975 to earn his M.A. in 1976 and Ph.D. in 1977, all with honors. He then attended Harvard Law School on an academic scholarship and earned his J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1980, where his advisor was Archibald Cox.
In 1972 Yale University selected him to be a Bates Traveling Fellow in residence at Clare College, Cambridge University, during 1972 and in 1974-75 he studied as a Fulbright Scholar in Italy at the University of Florence and translated Italian poetry into English.
At Yale Graduate School he was awarded the Mary Cady Tew Prize in 1975 (then awarded by Faculty to the best first-year graduate student in all departments of the humanities and social sciences).
He is the only person in the history of Yale to earn a PhD in only two years from start to finish. Yale granted the first PhD in the United States in 1869.
Dr. Schindler is the author of a book of original poetry (The Napoleon House; published by Archon Books in 1991) and a book on the life and poetry of John Milton (Voice and Crisis: Invocation in Milton’s Poetry; published by Archon Books in 1990).
- B.A., M.A,, Ph.D., all with honors, Yale University
- J.D., with honors, Harvard Law School
- Fullbright Scholar, Italy
- Bates Fellow, Clare College, Cambridge University
Today Dr. Schindler is the senior legal advisor to Investment Banks Forstmann & Co. and Tellson Securities, Inc. He is the only US member of the Advisory Council of Awad Capital Ltd., a global investment bank based on Dubai. As well, he is the only US member of the Advisory Board of Europe-based Climate Blockchain Corporation, the inventor of Climatecoin.
- World Economic Forum
- Board of Directors, Fulbright Canada Foundation
- A Leader of 3 US Trade Missions to Europe on Clean Energy & Sustainable Investment; co-lead with Deutsche Bank on first Mission
- Strategic Advisor in over 60 M&A and IPO transactions, including Ultrasystems, PIMCO, Callaway Golf and RemedyTemp
- Chief Executive Roundtable — UC Irvine
- More than 25 early renewable power and cogeneration projects
- Former Managing Partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Orange County, CA
- Tellson Securities, Inc., Strategic Advisor
- Awad Capital Ltd. (Dubai), Advisory Council
- Managing Partner & General Counsel, Forstmann & Co.
- Founder of SAIL Capital Partners LLC
- Founder of Transformation, LLC
- Climatecoin, Advisory Board
- Global Water Institute, Advisory Board
- Trivver, Advisory Board