David Tollen
Greenbrae, CA 94904
David Tollen is an attorney and a lecturer at the U.C. Berkeley Law School. He is the author of the American Bar Association's bestseller, THE TECH CONTRACTS HANDBOOK: Cloud Computing Agreements, Software Licenses, and other IT Contracts, for Lawyers and Businesspeople (ABA Publishing 2021). And he is the founder of Sycamore Legal, P.C., a San Francisco / Silicon Valley law firm specializing in information technology contracts (www.SycamoreLegal.com). Mr. Tollen is also the founder of Tech Contracts Academy, LLC (www.TechContracts.com), where he trains businesspeople and lawyers on drafting and negotiating software and IT contracts.
- Contracts
- Copyrights
- Intellectual Property
- Licensing
- Software
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: JD, Harvard Law School, cum laude, 1993
Ll.M., Cambridge University (U.K.), Queens’ College, 1994
B.A., U.C. Berkeley, with highest distinction in general scholarship, 1990
- Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: State Bar of California
The International Association for Contract & Commercial Management: 2017-present
American Bar Association IP Law Section: 2010-present
San Francisco Intellectual Property Law Association (SFIPLA), Board-Member: 2009-2015 - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Lecturer at the U.C. Berkeley Law School, IT contracts, 2019-present.
Professional trainer on drafting and negotiating IT contracts, for Tech Contracts Academy and Sycamore Legal, 2011-present.
Regular speaker on IT legal issues at universities, industry/trade groups the American Bar Association, state bar associations, etc. - Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No.
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Eleven.
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Industry custom and practice surrounding cloud computing agreements, software licensing, and other information technology contracts. Analysis and testimony on contract language, negotiations, and industry terms of art, as well as attorney malpractice.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: N/A
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: N/A
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: Six.
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: February, 2022.
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: Four.
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: Four.
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: Seven as an expert witness, twenty-eight as a lawyer.
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Consulting, reports, and expert testimony, as well as training and legal services.
Available Upon Request