I'm Lead Legal Counsel in charge of the Foundation's Brand Studio and Partnerships teams. I've been a cheerleader for open licensing, decentralized communities, and free knowledge since my career began. I joined WMF in late 2021.

My pet project at WMF, after hours, has been increasing enforcement against marketing companies engaged in "undisclosed paid editing."

I also do legal work related to The Wikipedia Library (which I'm a big supporter of and have advocated for its maintenance and expansion). If you want to help us prioritize our partnerships, we where you can add or upvote content suggestions. If you want to stay updated about the new content available through the library you can also sign up to our newsletter.

I'd like to be as available as practical for people here with questions or concerns. Quick replies may not always happen, but if you want me to see something, I encourage you to...

email me:
sspaldingwikimedia.org

I work for or provide services to the Wikimedia Foundation, and this is the account I try to use for edits or statements I make in that role. However, the Foundation does not vet all my activity, and edits, statements, or other contributions made by this account may not reflect the views of the Foundation.