Andrea Chavez
Product Counsel & Technology Transactions
I advise established companies on AI and other technology products, and draft and negotiate complex technology agreements.
Get in TouchI have spent more than 25 years practicing technology law, building products, and running companies.
As a long-term entrepreneur, I approach legal questions with an understanding of what it takes to build and sell a product. I translate fluently among business, product, engineering, and legal teams, helping them weigh their options and decide which risks are worth taking.
Product Counsel
I begin with a deep dive into the product, meeting with product managers for demos and, whenever possible, using it myself. I work with the team to assess the legal risks and decide which risks the company is prepared to accept. Where changes are needed, I look for solutions that reduce legal exposure without unnecessary engineering work or complicating the customer experience.
Fictional Product Review
An illustrative product review for a software company developing an equipment-monitoring product.
The software analyzes sensor data and alerts the customer's personnel. It does not control the equipment or include staffed monitoring by the vendor.
North Facility / Equipment Alerts
Possible overheating
Electrical Cabinet 12
Prediction Based on Sensor Data
Temperature history
Last received 19 hours agoRecommended Action
Inspect equipmentIs the product reporting a measured condition or predicting one? The customer should be able to see the supporting readings, when they were collected, and why the alert was generated. Missing or outdated data may change both the recommendation and how urgently someone should respond.
The product analyzes sensor data and sends alerts. The vendor does not provide staffed monitoring or control the equipment. "Monitoring active" leaves that distinction unclear and could lead customers to expect someone to intervene.
Possible Product Change
Use "Automated alerts enabled" and show who receives them. Make responsibility for responding clear in both the product and the agreement.
An alert has been open for 18 hours. Was it delivered to the right person? Did they see it? Who is responsible for responding to the alert, and has the vendor agreed to follow up if it goes unanswered? These facts help distinguish a missed notification from a known condition that someone chose not to address.
Possible Product Change
Let customers configure their own response workflows, including who receives alerts and when unresolved alerts escalate. Record the customer's chosen settings, and distinguish delivery, acknowledgment, and subsequent action.
Regulatory Check
Identify any requirements that limit those choices, including response and recordkeeping obligations.
Acknowledging an alert, deciding not to act, and confirming that the condition has been resolved are different events. If they all produce a "Closed" status, the product may give a misleading picture of what happened.
Possible Product Change
Distinguish acknowledgment from resolution, and allow the customer to dismiss or defer an alert with an appropriate explanation. Preserve who made the decision and when. Check whether each action stops further notifications or escalation, and make that consequence clear.
Regulatory Check
Determine whether applicable rules require particular responses or retention of alert records before deciding what customers can dismiss, defer, or close.
Will customers use these alerts alongside their inspections, or rely on them instead? Is the company offering a maintenance tool, a safety system, or a way to meet regulatory requirements? Those distinctions guide the legal review.
Possible Product Change
If it supplements required inspections, make that clear in the customer workflow.
Regulatory Check
Confirm which requirements apply to the product and its intended use. Claims that it replaces inspections or satisfies safety obligations need specific support.
All product details and readings are invented. This is not a client example or an engineering assessment.
Where desired, I create detailed illustrated guides, often in HTML for ease of use, to explain legal issues and possible solutions. These give teams a practical reference for addressing current issues and avoiding similar ones as the product evolves.
Complex Technology Agreements
I draft and negotiate complex technology agreements, including software and data licenses, AI agreements, and strategic partnerships. I work closely with the business team to understand what the company needs from the deal, with particular attention to protecting its interests if the technology or business relationship changes.
Selected Transactions
Commercial Agreements
Negotiated commercial agreements representing tens of millions of dollars in annual recurring revenue with global telecommunications, automotive, and technology companies.
Software Licensing
Negotiated software licensing and distribution agreements with global manufacturers, including a software-bundling arrangement expected to reach millions of devices annually.
Patent Acquisitions
Drafted and negotiated patent-acquisition agreements for technology companies and patent-investment firms.
Working Together
I work closely with a small number of companies, alongside their legal, business, and product teams. Some relationships involve ongoing advice as products and commercial needs evolve. Others focus on a particular product review or transaction.
About
HRK LLP BioI am Of Counsel at Huggins Reddien Kornbacher LLP. I earned a J.D. and an M.S. in Computer Science from Stanford and graduated cum laude from Harvard with an A.B. in Philosophy and a focus on logic.
I began my legal career as an IP attorney at Venture Law Group. I went on to co-found Mediabolic and Pogoplug, leading business development and legal affairs. Mediabolic was acquired by Macrovision, a predecessor to TiVo. I also founded Pawscout, whose connected pet tags have sold more than one million units through retail channels.
I co-founded Virtual Law Partners, where I served as managing partner. At Swift Navigation, I served as EVP Legal and HR before becoming External General Counsel.