Darnell M. Cage

Patents

Darnell leads patent strategy and execution with the precision of an engineer and the foresight of a seasoned legal advisor. Serving a client base that spans Fortune 500 companies to individual inventors and emerging startups, Darnell prepares and prosecutes U.S. and international patent applications with a clear eye toward market relevance, jurisdictional nuance and long-term asset value.

He supports clients at all stages of innovation — drafting foundational applications, overseeing global filing strategies, and managing complex prosecution efforts before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and abroad. Whether launching new portfolios or expanding legacy ones into adjacent technologies, Darnell acts as an organizational reformer in helping clients adapt to shifting markets and evolving business goals. His ability to translate technical innovation into strong, defensible patent rights makes him a key partner in building IP assets that endure and deliver strategic advantage.

Intellectual Property Strategy

As a strategic partner, Darnell embeds himself into the fabric of his clients’ innovation ecosystems to help transform how they identify, protect and deploy intellectual property. By working closely with in-house counsel, R&D teams and engineers, Darnell gains an extensive understanding of his clients’ technologies, operations, and competitive landscapes—enabling him to shape IP strategies that are not only responsive but forward-looking.

He acts as an extension of his clients’ legal and technical teams, guiding internal processes, aligning portfolio development with evolving business goals, and identifying overlooked opportunities for protection or monetization. His work often includes competitive intelligence gathering, freedom-to-operate and whitespace analysis, and clearance strategies for complex or crowded patent landscapes. Whether counseling on patentable subject matter, anticipating litigation risks, or deploying defensive publications, Darnell’s approach is grounded in business-aligned innovation strategy—designed to create value, reduce risk, and drive long-term advantage.

Tech Transactions

Darnell brings a business-forward, change-oriented lens to technology transactions, helping clients navigate the complex intersection of innovation, collaboration, and commercialization. With firsthand knowledge of both technical systems and legal frameworks, he structures and negotiates intellectual property agreements that not only safeguard proprietary assets but also unlock value through strategic partnerships.

His work spans the full spectrum of technology-related contracts, including confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, joint development agreements, software-as-a-service (SaaS) arrangements, and business-to-business licensing frameworks. Whether enabling new revenue streams, mitigating risk in collaborative innovation or aligning deal structures with long-term IP strategies, Darnell ensures each agreement is built to support his clients’ evolving goals in an increasingly data- and IP-driven economy.

Litigation Support

Darnell serves as a trusted patent authority across the firm, frequently supporting cross-disciplinary teams in high-stakes intellectual property litigation. He applies his engineering mindset and legal acumen to dissect assertive patents, assess claim validity and guide strategic discovery efforts with technical precision.

Positioned as both a collaborator and innovation driver, Darnell ensures that litigation strategy is informed by tailored patent knowledge, business context and long-range portfolio goals. Whether surfacing prior art, shaping claim construction positions or assessing exposure in pre-litigation analysis, he brings a proactive, integrated perspective that empowers clients to navigate disputes with clarity, efficiency and leverage.

Prior Experience

Prior to his time with Faegre Drinker, Darnell worked for a Minneapolis-based law firm as an attorney in their intellectual property and patent group, focusing his work on mechanical, electrical, life sciences and software patents. He was responsible for preparing and prosecuting patent applications; assessing patentability, invalidity and freedom to operate; and drafting IP agreements, including assignment, licensing, SaaS, service, and confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements.

Before entering the patent profession, Darnell also worked with Boeing as both an engineer and senior paralegal. As an engineer, he performed thermodynamic and structural analysis on defense and aerospace products, ranging from individual components to large aerospace structures for secret military and commercial programs for the United States and its allies. As a mid-level engineer, Darnell was proficient in complex finite element analysis and models, oversaw adherence of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and supplier parts to military standards and statements of work, and dispositioned of salvageable and nonconformance aircraft parts. As a paralegal, he used his structural and thermal analyst experience to assist senior counsel in various aspects of government contracts as both a primary contractor and subcontractor, program management, supply chain agreements, corporate governance and investigations, freedom of information act requests, and developing a cross-functional IP strategy for one of Boeing’s largest defense businesses. To aid in this work, Darnell successfully completed contracts and acquisition training programs facilitated by the U.S. General Services Administration, including training in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations. During his stint at Boeing, Darnell also had a unique role in the Chief of Staff office where he was in direct support of a chief executive for one of the largest divisions in the company where he executed executive priorities, strategic initiatives and cross-functional coordination.

Before Boeing, Darnell interned as a flight test engineer at Pratt & Whitney for fighter jet engines where he directly supported manufacturing in support of test objectives and conformance of the engines and testing to government contracts. Darnell also worked as an intellectual property extern with a midsize, multipractice firm and a global technology, engineering, and software company that provides industrial automation equipment, climate control systems and measurement instruments. Throughout much of his academic career, Darnell participated in numerous grant-based research programs, culminating in numerous presentations and an undergraduate thesis based on years of lab tests and construction of numerical models for cryopreservation of biological materials.

Faculty Positions

• Mitchell Hamline School of Law — Adjunct Professor, USPTO National Patent Application Drafting Competition, 2019
• University of St. Thomas School of Law — Adjunct Professor, USPTO National Patent Application Drafting Competition, 2020-25 (National Champions in 2020; National Runners Up in 2025)
  Learn more about the University of St. Thomas School of Law's success in the USPTO National Patent Application Drafting Competition here.

Personal Interests

Darnell Cage regularly shares his experiences on panels discussing intellectual property, legal practice and the importance of neurodiversity in professional spaces. Beyond his legal work, Darnell brings a deep sense of curiosity and community engagement to everything he does. A lifelong fan of professional wrestling, he appreciates the craft of storytelling and strategic performance. As a dedicated coach and advocate, he devotes time to fostering social impact — driving meaningful change to address systemic injustices through education, mentorship and community leadership.

Darnell’s intellectual pursuits extend to theology, history and puzzles, where he finds meaning in faith, pattern recognition and historical context. He is an avid traveler, always eager to immerse himself in different cultures, and a passionate home cook who finds joy in the creativity of the kitchen. A committed cinephile, he makes a ritual of following Oscar-nominated films each year, celebrating the craft of filmmaking as an expression of human insight and artistic excellence.