About Darren E.
Darren E. Donnelly came to law from a strong technical and analytical background. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences and a Master of Science from Stanford University in 1994, the latter in Engineering-Economic Systems where he studied the design of intelligent decision systems. He completed his legal education at Santa Clara University School of Law, receiving a J.D. in 1997. That combination of quantitative training and legal study shaped an approach that blends close attention to detail with an eye for systems-level issues.
At Stanford, Donnelly concentrated on mathematical and computational science alongside economics. His graduate work explored how models and algorithms can support decision making in complex environments. Those years produced a familiarity with formal models and an understanding of how technical constraints affect business choices. He carried those habits of analysis into law school, where he paired doctrinal study with practical problem solving.
Donnelly is an attorney at Fenwick & West LLP. His practice sits at the intersection of law and technology. He works on matters that involve corporate structuring, technology transactions, and intellectual property considerations. At a firm best known for serving technology companies, his background permits conversations that bridge the legal and the technical, from contract drafting to deal terms shaped by product and data considerations.
Colleagues and clients see his engineering and economics training reflected in how he frames issues. He tends to break problems into component parts and to assess the trade-offs that follow from different legal choices. That method is useful in negotiating agreements, advising on licensing questions, and reviewing compliance-related matters that touch on software, algorithms, and data flows.
Donnelly is admitted to practice in California. He maintains an interest in how emerging technologies change transactional and intellectual property practices. He is based at Fenwick & West LLP and participates in the firm’s work for companies that confront technical and commercial complexity. He currently practices at Fenwick & West LLP, concentrating on corporate and technology-related matters.
