Troutman Pepper Locke Partner’s Election Gives Lawyers Top Leadership Roles in Georgia’s Largest University Systems

David Dove, a partner in Troutman Pepper Locke’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement Practice Group, was quoted in the November 19, 2025 Law.com article, “Troutman Pepper Locke Partner’s Election Gives Lawyers Top Leadership Roles in Georgia’s Largest University Systems.”

• New Board of Regents leader David Dove joins Emory interim president and attorney Leah Sears in leading the state’s largest public and private universities. Dove will become the second Big Law partner in a leadership position in higher education in Georgia starting Jan. 1 after his recent election as chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
• And Dove believes lawyers have unique skills that help them lead a university because they are routinely “called on to assist in solving problems.”
• “Having an analytical background, understanding the scope of responsibilities [and] a legal perspective—I think it does inform higher education in a very positive way,” Dove said.
• Dove, who leads Troutman’s regulatory and economic investment practice in Atlanta, was elected Nov. 11 to lead the 19-member board that oversees 26 Georgia universities.
• …
• Dove said he doesn’t believe that attorneys “possess any sort of advantage over any other professions” in leading universities but their perspective is “necessary for having a well-rounded leadership team for higher education.”
• He noted that that lawyers often excel in understanding structural frameworks and are capable of leveraging that understanding to land on solutions to emerging issues.
• Dove said he “always had a passion for public service” and appreciates that the board is comprised of “working professionals” who volunteer their time. He said University System of Georgia chairs have been leaders in a variety of professions, which gives them the opportunities to provide “diverse perspectives” to their approaches to the position.
• “When the state designed this system, they envisioned people with careers being able to give back,” he said. “That balance is something that I appreciate.”
• “Our objective is to be a resource to improve lives,” he said.