Regent Emeritus Darek DeFreece

Darek DeFreece is a capital markets and venture capital lawyer with close to thirty years experience. He has worked with and for some of the world's largest financial institutions. Recently, his practice has expanded to represent a number of early stage companies. For the last seven years, Mr. DeFreece was working on strategic projects for UC Berkeley. He founded and became the first executive director of the Berkeley Air & Space Center - a new home for deep technology in Silicon Valley in partnership with NASA.

He received his undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and his juris doctorate from Boston College Law School.

Mr. DeFreece has served on the boards of numerous educational and non-profit organizations, including as a Regent of the University of California, the president of the Cal Alumni Association, advisor to the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley, and trustee of the UC Berkeley Foundation. He is a Berkeley Fellow, a member of the Order of the Golden Bear, and the Class President for the Class of 1993.