Author, Speaker, Lawyer, Expert Witness, and Instructor
David Tollen is a best-selling, award-winning author. He writes both novels and books on technology law. David is also an attorney, expert witness, professional trainer, and instructor at U.C. Berkeley Law School. He has succeeded in multiple roles by turning complex ideas into simple, clear, fun reading and lectures.
David trains attorneys, contract-managers, and other professionals on drafting and negotiation of software licenses, AI contracts, cloud computing agreements, and other contracts about IT. He provides these programs through Tech Contracts Academy, which he founded. And David teaches similar material to law students at UC Berkeley Law School. David also practices law and provides expert witness services through Sycamore Legal, P.C., which he also founded. He is a sought-after speaker and one of the industry’s leading authorities on IT contracts.
David is also an amateur historian. He’s a member of the Board of Advisors for World History Encyclopedia, which publishes the world’s most-read history encyclopedia. And he writes the blog Pints of History. In his novels, David uses history to build colorful worlds.
David earned a B.A. in history from U.C. Berkeley and has law degrees from Harvard Law School and Cambridge University. He lives in Northern California with his wife and two sons.
Technology Law
Books & Training
David wrote The Tech Contracts Handbook, which has for most of the last decade ranked as the #1 bestseller on Amazon from the American Bar Association (ABA Publishing). David also writes the popular blog at TechContracts.com.
FICTION
David wrote The Jericho River, a novel that uses fantasy to teach world history to young adults. It won first place at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the London Book Festival, as well as a bronze medal in the Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews and Awards Contest, among other honors. David is also the author of Secrets of Hominea, a middle-grade novel teaching both history and science – and another award-winner.
David is hard at work on his next novel, A Lawyer for Dukes and Drifters – this time for a general fantasy audience (rather than for young people or educators). But once again, he has employed history to weave a fun and fascinating story.
books
The Tech Contracts Handbook
is a reference manual and training guide covering agreements about artificial intelligence, cloud computing, software, and other forms of IT. Written in a clear, plain-English style, this bestselling handbook is a complete resource for lawyers, contract managers, procurement officers, and other businesspeople–anyone responsible for getting IT deals done. One of the top four bestsellers from ABA Publishing for more than ten years.
The Jericho River
is a trek through a magical world shaped by myth & history. Young Jason Gallo sails the river on a dangerous quest to rescue his estranged father. The river flows like a timeline, carrying the young man through historic lands – Sumer, Babylonia, ancient Greece, Medieval Europe, colonial empires, & many others – in chronological order, tracing the history of Western Civilization, from its Middle Eastern roots to modern times. Multiple award-winner, including at the Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews & Awards and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
Secrets of Hominea
educates and entertains middle school readers, along with 4th and 5th -graders. Alison Pulido gets more than she bargained for when she cuts middle school. She follows a strange little man into another world and finds herself caught up in the battle between truth and ignorance. Distinguished Favorite: Independent Press Award.
Speaking
David speaks regularly about software licensing, cloud computing contracts (including SaaS), and other IT topics. Those talks include appearances at conferences and law schools. And of course, David provides professional training.
David also speaks about history, including its magic and its power to guide us today.
Interested in booking David to speak at your next event?
