10 GitLab legal leaders
Thomas Lloyd, Chief Business and Legal Officer at GitLab, heads this list of GitLab legal leaders, which also includes vice presidents and directors of legal for privacy and IP, employment, commercial work, and ethics and compliance. A reader can learn how legal leaders work at GitLab from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Dan Hodes
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Legal · GitLab
Dan Hodes has been Vice President, Legal at GitLab since May 2026 and was Senior Director, Risk Management and Dispute Resolution at GitLab from 2022 to 2026. Dan Hodes also held the roles Director, Litigation at CrowdStrike (2019–2022) and Assistant General Counsel -- Litigation at Hallmark Cards (2018–2019).
Dan Rhodes
LinkedInExperience: Director of Legal · GitLab
Dan Rhodes has been Director of Legal at GitLab since May 2026, a role the profile headline describes as Director of Legal (Product & IP). At GitLab, Dan Rhodes also held the roles Senior Managing Legal Counsel (2024–2026), Managing Legal Counsel (2022–2024), Senior Legal Counsel (2021–2022) and Legal Counsel (2021).
Darnell Coles Jr., Esq.
LinkedInExperience: Director of Legal, Commercial · GitLab
Darnell Coles Jr., Esq. has been Director of Legal, Commercial at GitLab since May 2026. At GitLab, Darnell Coles Jr. also held the roles Senior Managing Legal Counsel, Commercial Legal (2024–2026), Managing Legal Counsel, Commerical Legal (2022–2024) and Senior Legal Counsel (2021–2022), and was an Office of the General Counsel - Attorney at PwC from 2017 to 2021.
Emily Hunter Plotkin
LinkedInExperience: Vice President Legal, Employment · GitLab
Emily Hunter Plotkin has been Vice President Legal, Employment at GitLab since November 2025. At GitLab, Emily Hunter Plotkin was also Senior Director of Legal, Employment from 2022 to 2025 and Director, Legal - Employment from 2020 to 2022, and was Instructor in Law at Vanderbilt University Law School from 2018 to 2020.
Jesse Backerman
LinkedInExperience: Director, Legal · GitLab
Jesse Backerman has been Director, Legal at GitLab since November 2025, with a profile headline that reads Senior In-House Legal Counsel | Strategic Business Partner. At GitLab, Jesse Backerman also held the roles Sr. Managing Legal Counsel (2024–2025), Managing Legal Counsel (2022–2024) and Senior Legal Counsel (2021–2022).
Lynsey Sayers
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Legal, Privacy & IP · GitLab
Lynsey Sayers has been Vice President of Legal, Privacy & IP at GitLab since February 2023, listed in the Legal department at the vice president level. At GitLab, Lynsey Sayers was also Senior Director of Legal, Privacy & Products (2021–2023) and Director of Legal, Privacy & Products (2020–2021), and was Director of Privacy, Legal at Ancestry from 2017 to 2020.
Matthew Taylor
LinkedInExperience: Former Vice President of Legal, Commercial · GitLab
Matthew Taylor is a former Vice President of Legal, Commercial at GitLab (2024–2026) and also held the GitLab roles Sr. Director of Legal, Commercial (2022–2026) and Director of Legal, Commercial (2021–2026). Matthew Taylor has been VP, Global Head Commercial Legal at Ping Identity since January 2026 and was Assistant General Counsel at Procore Technologies from 2020 to 2021.
Rachel Pack
LinkedInExperience: Director of Legal, Ethics & Compliance · GitLab
Rachel Pack has been Director of Legal, Ethics & Compliance at GitLab since May 2023 and was Lead Legal Counsel, Trade Compliance at GitLab from 2022 to 2023. Rachel Pack also held the role US Trade Controls Counsel & Program Manager, Mergers and Acquisitions, Ethics and Compliance at Cognizant from 2018 to 2022.
Rob Nalen
LinkedInExperience: Former Vice President, Legal Operations · GitLab
Rob Nalen is a former Vice President, Legal Operations at GitLab (2023–2024), listed in the Legal department at the vice president level. At GitLab, Rob Nalen was also Senior Director, Contracts and Legal Operations (2020–2023) and Director, Contracts and Legal Operations (2019–2020), and has been Chief Operating Officer & Head of Legal Affairs at HeroDevs since April 2024.
Thomas Lloyd
LinkedInExperience: Chief Business and Legal Officer · GitLab
Thomas Lloyd has been Chief Business and Legal Officer at GitLab since July 2026. Thomas Lloyd also held the roles Chief Business and Operations Officer at New Relic (2024–2026), Chief Legal Officer at New Relic (2022–2026) and General Counsel at New Relic (2018–2022).
Choose the right perspective
Match the legal area named in the person's title, such as commercial, privacy and IP, employment or compliance, to the question you bring. Check whether the person's GitLab role is current before asking how the legal function works today.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How do in-house lawyers at a software company keep commercial contract reviews moving quickly?
- 02How does a legal leader set up privacy and IP review for new product features?
- 03What changes when an in-house lawyer moves from managing counsel to director or vice president of legal?
Reaching GitLab legal leaders
How can I contact one of these GitLab legal leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: GitLab, based on profile data retrieved on October 27, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach GitLab legal leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.