A high-speed circuit with a high-voltage (HV) driver circuit. The high-speed circuit has a driver circuit and a level shifter. The driver circuit includes HV components which are operated in an HV domain. The level shifter includes low-voltage (LV) components which are operated in an LV domain. The level shifter translates signals from the LV domain to the HV domain to generate control signals for the driver circuit. The high-speed circuit may include a protection voltage generator converting a power supply voltage and a power ground voltage to generate a first direct-current bias voltage (VBP) and a second direct-current bias voltage (VBN) to bias the LV components of the level shifter. The LV components of the level shifter include input transistors and protection transistors. Gate voltages of the protection transistors may be tied to VBP or VBN.