Barreno, Carolyn E.

Carolyn E. Barreno is an associate with Donahue Gallagher Woods LLP specializing in business counseling, with an emphasis on intellectual property, privacy and data protection, and commercial real estate. She represents a diverse variety of businesses and individuals in both transactional and litigation matters.

As a member of our firm’s intellectual property group, Ms. Barreno counsels and assists clients in securing, protecting, and enforcing their intellectual property rights, including trademark and copyright registrations, analyzing the strength of marks and designations, protecting trade secrets, and evaluating possible infringement. She also advises clients on their legal privacy and data protection obligations, including client privacy policies.

Ms. Barreno has an active commercial leasing practice, negotiating leases and related contracts for parties ranging from neighborhood businesses to prominent national companies. She represents landlords and tenants. 

Ms. Barreno has also assisted clients through all aspects of dispute resolution, including negotiating pre-litigation and pre-trial settlements, representing clients at hearings and mediations, arguing motions, and participating in full trials and appeals. She has litigated contract claims, real property disputes, corporate shareholder actions, and disputes concerning intellectual property rights, including trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, and domain names.

Ms. Barreno earned her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2009, with a concentration in Intellectual Property. During law school, she served on the Board for the Hastings Moot Court Program and taught Moot Court and Appellate Advocacy. She competed and coached nationally in multiple moot court competitions, and earned recognition as the Best Oralist in the Cardozo/BMI Entertainment and Communications Law Moot Court Competition in New York. She was also a regional champion with distinction in oral advocacy in the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition. At Hastings, Ms. Barreno received awards for Best Oral Advocate in Moot Court and a Snodgrass Brief Award for excellence in written argument. She also taught the Hastings Ballroom Dance class.

Ms. Barreno earned her Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude in Philosophy with minors in Classics and Psychology from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. Prior to law school, she worked as a legal interviewer and client advocate for the Bar Association of San Francisco.

Ms. Barreno is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In her spare time, Ms. Barreno is an avid ballroom and salsa dancer, performing and competing at an international level. She also remains involved in the Hastings Moot Court Program serving as an alumni coach and judge to student competitors.