Danielle F. Bass

Danielle Bass is a partner in the Technology Transactions and Data, Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Groups who focuses her practice on transactional matters involving information technology, intellectual property, data, media, and entertainment, with an emphasis on commercial transactions.

Danielle frequently drafts and negotiates various agreements regarding the development, licensing, and/or transfer of trademarks, copyrights, artificial intelligence, software, or other technology, including software and cloud services licensing, technology outsourcing, and other matters involving the licensing, sale, procurement, and commercialization of intellectual property and technology products and services. In addition, Danielle advises clients on information technology and intellectual property components of mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions as well as matters involving data privacy and security, including cybersecurity, across a number of industries.

Danielle is deeply integrated into some of her clients’ internal legal processes and business and has acted as commercial counsel during hiring lapses and leaves of absence. Danielle consistently works side-by-side with in-house legal teams to assist in developing contract review processes and negotiates agreements on behalf of internal business units. Danielle actively advises the financial arm of a global automotive company, as well as clients in the automotive, logistics, financial, real estate, electronics, information technology, and healthcare sectors. She also regularly advises clients in the media and entertainment industry, including representation of a digital media and marketing company.

Prior to re-joining Honigman, Danielle was an attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where she advised local and international technology pioneers ranging from start-ups to Fortune 50 organizations on transactional matters involving information technology, intellectual property, data, and media, with an emphasis on commercial relationships.

Danielle is also active in the community and undertakes many pro bono matters, including acting as general counsel to a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides music education to children and she has completed over two dozen name changes for members of the transgender community.

In addition, Danielle is committed to shaping the next generation of transactional attorneys. Along with teaching Transactional Drafting at the University of Michigan Law School, she developed a one-of-its-kind practical course on Technology Transactions at the University of Michigan Law School and University of Chicago Law School, where she also currently teaches.

Practice Areas

Industries

Representative Matters

Commercial Matters

• Counsel to software companies offering software as a service, cloud based and/or other application service provider products and services, and companies purchasing licenses to such products, including the creation of contract templates and negotiation guides including:
  • Draft form vendor services agreement for a non-banking financial institution customer
  • Draft and negotiate form services agreement for a highly-regulated client to receive temporary staffing services
  • Draft form collections services agreement for automobile creditor client
  • Draft and negotiate repossession forwarder services agreement with numerous vendors on behalf of a creditor
• Draft and negotiate an agreement for the development, implementation, management, and support of a white label platform for automotive dealers to access for information on lease and loan options for vehicles
• Draft and negotiate platform services agreement for a customer seeking repossession services for vehicles
• Negotiate data handling agreement for the financial arm of an automotive company
• Assist manufacturing company with the acquisition of a transportation management software and implementation thereof
• Negotiate auction services agreements on behalf of a captive automotive finance company for vehicles and motorcycles
• Assist automotive original equipment manufacturer captive finance company with the acquisition, implementation, configuration, development, and maintenance of an online call center with multiple third party software providers

Technology Transaction Matters

• Negotiate a subscription services agreement for a client that would allow the provider to process biometric data and financial information of its customers
• Negotiate and implementation management of parking services hardware and software for a client at 22 properties
• Counsel to clients developing mobile apps and their offering through online app stores or other markets
• Counsel client seeking an overhaul of all web presence and in the acquisition of digital marketing services
• Counsel real estate investment company for processing of electronic checks and credit card payment processing services for its residents
• Negotiate internet-based telephone services agreements
• Assist restaurant franchisor in the acquisition of a custom point of sale web-based software service to be used by all franchisees
• Review and advise clients on rights from licensing agreements in connection with proposed marketing endeavors
• Counsel to a cloud solution and managed security service provider on numerous customer agreements with healthcare institutions including services agreements, service level agreements, and consulting agreements to perform its consulting work.
• Negotiate an agreement on behalf of a franchisor in the food service industry for a company-wide ERP implementation of financial and reporting analytics system
• Negotiate software security agreement for client in the hospitality industry
• Negotiate various subscription services agreements for customers in the healthcare industry
• Counsel provider of signal amplification hardware and software in preparing agreements with customers and installers/implementers of the solution
• Negotiate agreement for API assessment and consultation services
• Counsel to financial services company in the acquisition of training for call centers and collections services
• Counsel to franchisor of pizza restaurants on the acquisition of uniform food delivery platforms and negotiation of various agreements related thereto
• Negotiate an agreement for IT consulting, management, and integration services for a national producer and distributor of greenhouse-grown produce
• Negotiate content partnership agreements with media agencies and talent for client that owns an audiovisual platform
• Negotiate software services agreement for media agencies

Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Matters

• Negotiate online decision support SaaS solution designed to assist in the assessment and management of privacy and security incidents involving Personal Information on behalf of a client processing non-public personal information
• Negotiate data license agreements for clients processing personal information in the ordinary course of business
• Counsel to a business processing non-public personal information as a financial institution in the acquisition of hardware and software for the safety of such information in a vehicle servicing context

Generative Artificial Intelligence Matters

• Advised a digital marketing program optimization company on assessing and mitigating risk exposure in their AI-enabled bot project
• Counseled a full-service commercial real estate firm on deploying a conversational AI tool for handling outbound sales calls and customer service work
• Drafted a provider-side MSA for AI-guided imaging software to enable a healthcare provider to provide high-quality ultrasound exams regardless of their familiarity with ultrasounds, ensuring responsible data use and licensing arrangements for the greater good
• Negotiated customer agreements with national and regional grocers on behalf of a technology company licensing AI-powered solutions to optimize critical functions in fresh food, including ordering, inventory, merchandising, and operations

Prior Experience

• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Senior Associate, 2021-2023
• Honigman LLP, Partner, 2020-2021; Associate 2017-2019
• Dykema Gossett PLLC, Associate, 2015-2017

Academic Appointments

University of Michigan Law School, Adjunct Professor, 2020-present

University of Chicago Law School, Lecturer in Law, 2023-present

Education

Admissions

Awards

Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Michigan’s Go To Lawyers for business transactions, 2024

Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Influential Women of Law, 2024

Crain’s 2021 Notable Woman in Law

State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section Regeana Myrick Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, 2023

Professional & Community Involvement

Association for Corporate Growth (Detroit Chapter)

• Board Member
• President

State Bar of Michigan, Information Technology Law Section

• Council Member
• Chair Elect

Institution of Continuing Legal Education—Technology Law & Training

• Advisory Board Member

News

Press Releases

Events

Suffolk Law Fourth Annual Intellectual Property and Innovation Conference (September 30, 2022): Perspectives on Digital Health 

How to Contract’s How to Contract and Negotiate Cloud Services Contracts (May 18, 2022): Indemnification

Blog Posts