Litigation Support and Testimony

Five Management, LLC provides expert witness and litigation support with a focus on Commercial Banking, Corporate Finance, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Due Diligence for counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defense.  Doug Johnston, Founder, is a finance expert and has provided litigation support in breach, misrepresentation, fraud and other actions under complex Business, Employment and Family Law cases since 2010.

Doug Johnston provides expert witness and litigation support
Doug Johnston, Managing Director, Five Management, LLC

Douglas E. Johnston, Jr. – Narrative Form of CV

Doug Johnston began his finance career in 1978 as a General Management Trainee at AAA-rated Wachovia Bank & Trust, the 4th-largest bank in the US prior to its merger into Wells Fargo Bank in 2008. At Wachovia, Doug was principally assigned to the National and International Accounts Departments.  In eight years, and including time as a loan workout and re-documentation specialist, he was selected as President of a commercial bank in his native state of Texas, and within two years his bank earned the regulators’ highest ‘Class 1’ rating. From 1986 to 1997, he built, staffed and managed five full-service bank offices in two separate banks in Texas and California, with each bank recognized with the highest regulatory ratings.

Doug expanded into mergers & acquisitions as a ‘Founding Father’ and as EVP-Finance & Administration of Platinum Equity, LLC, which grew to become the largest private company in Los Angeles. While at Platinum from 1997-2004, he created the Corporate Finance Department, which completed due diligence and closed over 40 major debt and equity financings in the US and Europe with public and private companies including AT&T, IBM, Viacom, WorldCom, Motorola, Lucent, Dun & Bradstreet, American Airlines, Alcatel, Hays Logistics and many others. From 2005-2013 Doug separately co-founded and served as CEO of a nationwide commercial real estate company with representatives in 20 cities, and also as Co-Founder & CEO of a successful technology-based North American consumer products manufacturing company.  While at Platinum, he developed and maintained over 200 institutional relationships with bank lenders and investors.

Mr. Johnston has hands-on experience as a senior bank lender. senior corporate executive, manager and co-investor. He has investigated and documented hundreds of commercial loans, acquisitions, equity finance and commercial real estate transactions across the US and Europe totaling well over $5 Billion. With over 30 years of experience in lending, borrowing, regulation, equity syndications, commodities and hedging strategies, he is a published author on numerous domestic finance and international economics topics.  His articles have appeared in Law360, Legaltech News, Thomson Reuters, Advisor Magazine, and at www.kitco.com.  He is a member of the Forensic Expert Witness Association.

Doug is a Past President of the Century City Rotary Club.  In 2018 he was voted the Youth Business Alliance ‘Speaker of the Year’ among over 1000 speakers.

Douglas E. Johnston, Jr. – Detail of CV(CLICK HERE)
(Includes Alphabetical Areas of Expertise and Experience)

Areas of Expertise:

  • Banking & Lending
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Private Equity
  • Leveraged Buyouts
  • Fiduciary Management
  • Equity Syndications
  • Due Diligence
  • Credit Underwriting
  • Lender Liability
  • Risk Management
  • Gold, Currencies & Futures
  • Regulations & Compliance
  • Keep thy heart with all diligence,
    for out of it are the issues of life.

    The Book of Proverbs

  • We create wealth through the character of
    the thoughts we entertain.

    Helen Brown Wilmans (1831-1907)

  • Your character is what you really are,
    while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

    John Wooden (1910-2010)

  • The measure of who we are is what
    we do with what we have.

    Vince Lombardi (1913-1970)

  • Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.
    Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

    Helen Keller (1880-1968)