An Austin, Texas-based high-tech security firm called Ontic, which has a business model likely to draw comparisons to the sci-fi thriller “Minority Report,” has hired its first-ever chief legal officer and added a former Walmart Inc. general counsel to the company’s advisory board.   

The new CLO, Scott Shepherd, has extensive experience as an in-house leader in Austin’s tech startup world, while former Walmart GC Tom Mars has deep knowledge of large corporate legal departments. As a former police officer and director of the Arkansas State Police, Mars also has good insights about security, risk and threat assessment.