Darnele L. Wright

DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL - BUSINESS, TRANSACTIONS & INNOVATION

Practice Groups 

Business Transactions, Intellectual Property & Innovation, Laboratory Affairs, Nonprofit Organizations & Charitable Giving, Procurement, Trusts and Estates

Experience

Darnele joined UC Legal- Oakland in February 2021 and reports to the General Counsel of the University of California as Deputy General Counsel for business, finance and innovation.  Darnele provides leadership to a diverse and experienced team of attorneys that support business transactions, joint ventures and collaborations (including international), public finance, investments, intellectual property, laboratory affairs, energy, tax-exempt organizations, charitable giving and trusts & estates.

Darnele joined UCSF as Deputy Campus Counsel in 2013 and has supported the campus and health enterprise through a period of tremendous growth. She has provided legal and strategic advice on matters involving intellectual property, health care, corporate, human resources, research, academic and student affairs, graduate medical education, investigations,  information technology, IT security, data use, governance and risk management for operations and programs at UCSF’s multiple locations, including San Francisco General Hospital, UCSF Medical Centers at Parnassus, Mt. Zion and Mission Bay, UCSF Fresno and East Bay Medical Education Programs, the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in San Francisco and Oakland. In addition, Darnele has supported the campus’ international research and academic initiatives in non-governmental organizations or branch offices based in Kenya, Uganda, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania, South Africa and Laos. Prior to joining UCSF, Darnele was Assistant General Counsel for the University of Miami where she served for five years. 
 
She spent her early years after law school working at the law firm Shutts & Bowen LLP where she served as an associate member of the business litigation, labor and employment, and intellectual property practice groups.  At Shutts, her work largely consisted of extensive litigation motion practice, research and settlement negotiation. 

Education 

Ms. Wright is a graduate of New York University and Boston University School of Law.  

Bar Admissions

California
Florida