Join Dana Rao, Retired GC of Adobe and AGC of Microsoft, as he shares lessons from his career approaching the role of tech counsel from the perspective of a businessperson and engineer, working at the Department of Justice, combating patent trolls, and developing smart and ethical AI tools that respect copyright.

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Key Insights

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1. “What’s the right thing to do?” — A leadership framework for life

While at the DOJ, Reno once asked Dana that question during a policy dispute between a U.S. state and a tribal government. “I was thinking politically,” he recalls. “She forced me to think morally.” That reframing became his lifelong compass. As GC, Rao used it to guide complex decisions at Adobe—from AI data sourcing to litigation strategy—balancing company interest with global good.

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2. Doing AI the Right Way: Firefly and Ethical Innovation

When building Adobe Firefly, the team faced a key decision: train on scraped internet data like everyone else, or build responsibly. “The easy answer was to scrape,” Dana says. “The right answer was to use licensed content.” Adobe trained Firefly on Adobe Stock and other commercially safe datasets, pioneering a responsible AI model that protects creators and gives enterprises legal certainty. “We wanted a model that’s good for Adobe, good for artists, and good for the world.”

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3. The Power of Taking Initiative

Dana’s career breakthrough came not from credentials but curiosity. As a young DOJ staffer, he voluntarily read through hundreds of letters from Native American tribes after a conference. “No one told me to do it,” he says. “I just became the person who knew what tribes were asking for.” That initiative earned him direct access to Reno — and her trust. His takeaway: “Once you become the expert, doors open.”

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4. Defeating Patent Trolls (and Changing the Law)

At Adobe, Dana transformed the company’s litigation approach: flat-fee trials, deterrence through transparency, and collaboration with peers like Google and Oracle to form the Coalition for Patent Fairness. “We didn’t just fight cases — we changed the conversation,” he says. His testimony before Congress helped shape reforms that curtailed abusive patent litigation. “Once Scalia used the term ‘patent troll’ in an opinion, I knew we’d won the argument.”

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5. Authenticity Outlasts Strategy

In an era of AI-driven marketing and political spin, Dana insists authenticity remains the ultimate differentiator. “When you write, lead, or speak — start with what you care about,” he says. “If it resonates with you first, it’ll connect with others.” Whether publishing a corporate statement or a sci-fi novel, his process begins the same way: write for yourself first.

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6. Slowing Down Is a Superpower

After retiring, Dana spent two months sleeping and reconnecting with family. “Thirty years at a breakneck pace takes a toll,” he says. His new creative routine — writing every morning from 7:30 to 10:30—echoes Hemingway’s. “You have to slow down to recharge and think deeply. That’s when the best ideas come.”

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7. Closing Insight:

“Freedom in your career starts when you realize you can pause, breathe, and still move forward.”

For today’s GCs navigating AI, risk, and regulation — Rao’s mantra offers clarity: do the right thing, not just the easy thing.

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