Danielle Coleman is Senior Litigation Counsel at VMware, a technology company headquartered in Silicon Valley, and she oversees global commercial and intellectual property litigation and disputes.
At VMware, Danielle is a Global Co-Lead for the Black@VMware Power of Difference community, helping drive thought leadership, professional development, and representation for Black employees. She also promotes diversity in the legal field by mentoring future and current law students and regularly participating in mock interviews and mock pitches, providing feedback to women and minority attorneys to help them develop and succeed. Danielle has received a “Diversity Award” from the Bar Association of San Francisco for her diversity work in the legal community.
Danielle engages in legal pro bono work, representing low-income tenants in unlawful detainer settlement negotiations and helping a Nicaraguan woman obtain asylum in the U.S. Danielle is the Pro Bono Lead for VMware’s Palo Alto office, and she regularly organizes pro bono opportunities for the Legal Department, such as asylum clinics.
She has great passion for the community and health equity. She is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Alameda Health System Foundation (AHSF), which raises money for the Alameda Health System a network of hospitals and clinics serving uninsured and under-served patients in Alameda County. As the AHSF Gala co-chair for the last two years, she has helped raise over $1 million. In addition, Danielle is a member of the Board of Directors for the Alameda County Community Food Bank, which supports 1 in 5 residents of Alameda County, with two-thirds being children and seniors. She volunteers at the Food Bank, encourages others to volunteer, and raises funds to support its mission to close the hunger gap, which disproportionately impacts minorities.
Prior to joining VMware, Danielle was Director, Global Litigation at Applied Materials. She previously was an attorney at Morrison & Foerster where she was an active member of the patent trial team winning a jury verdict over $1 billion. She was a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup in the Northern District of California.
Ms. Coleman received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry, with honors in Chemistry and English, from Xavier University of Louisiana, and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to law school, she worked at pharmaceutical companies performing biochemical research, and she is an inventor on four U.S. patents.
She has spoken on multiple panels at summits and conferences on topics ranging from IP litigation to diversity and inclusion. She was a recipient of the “Nation’s Best Advocates: 40 Under 40” award and “Excellence in Innovation: 40 Under 40” award from the National Bar Association.