Donnellda Rice brings thirty years of experience as an executive, general counsel, and principal of her own law firm, advising technology, biopharmaceutical, medical device, and engineering companies in the government contracting and commercial spaces. She has deep experience providing legal and advisory services to clients of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, navigating complex and high-risk regulatory state, federal, and international environments. Donnellda often works with companies developing emerging technologies and biopharmaceutical products, as well as engineering management firms developing public infrastructure.

Donnellda partners closely with clients to identify risks, understand difficult regulatory matters, and develop solutions to help them achieve the best results, including:

• Regulatory compliance, including implementing new compliance and audit programs
• Complex technology, device, engineering, construction, commercial, and government transactions
• Biopharmaceutical and biotechnology regulatory, business, and legal matters
• Emerging technology and startup activities
• Joint ventures, sub, and prime agreements
• Launching technology startup firms
• FAR/DFAR training

Before joining OGC, Donnellda’s career highlights included:

• Outside counsel to technology companies of all sizes (including VMware), DoD contractors, and 8(a) companies
• Vice President of Contracts, PharmAthene Inc.
• Senior in-house counsel with large and Fortune 500 companies, including State Farm and XCEL Energy Company
• Executive with a biopharma government contractor, managing commercial and government contract transactions
• General Counsel and Board Secretary at AdvaMed
• Adjunct professor teaching government contracting to federal government contracting officers

Donnellda was class valedictorian at Howard University School of Law and began her legal career with the law firm Mayer Brown. She is also a proud graduate of Lincoln University, where she majored in history.

In addition to being an attorney, Donnellda loves history, mentoring and coaching startup companies, and spending time with her family. She co-hosts a podcast focused on working mothers, provides volunteer legal services to nonprofits and entrepreneurs, travels to historical sites, and enjoys white water rafting, hiking the rain forest, and creating new recipes to the delight of family and friends.