Robin Warren Email & Phone Number

Tech lawyer with 18 years of both private practice and in-house counsel experience, as well as experience supporting PE-owned portfolio firms. Heavy focus on the technology industry and SaaS products, to date, including work with publicly traded, private, and private-equity-controlled firms. Recognized throughout career for a comprehensive understanding of business, employment, contract, and privacy law—along with insatiable curiosity and a desire to assist companies in solving novel and interesting problems. Known for a leadership style centered on staff development and thoughtful collaboration across teams, geographies, and disciplines.Areas of expertise include:• Legal Team Recruitment, Training, Mentoring & Leadership• Global Data Privacy / Privacy Policy Development & Training• CxO-level Communications, Presentation & Influencing Skills• Legal Document Drafting / Partner Agreements / Licensing Deals• Contract Negotiation & Management• Risk Management & Mitigation• Regulatory Compliance (e.g. GDPR, CCPA, LGPD)• Outside Counsel Management & Litigation Support• International Law / Global Subsidiary Operations• Cross-Functional Collaboration (Heavy Marketing & Product Focus)• Intellectual Property (IP) & Software Licensing (SaaS)• Employment Law / Internal Investigations• Financial, Tax, Auditing & Probate Issues / Forensic Financial AnalysisEducational credentials include a JD (with Honors), an LLM in Taxation from the University of Washington School of Law, and a BA in Psychology from Cornell University.

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  Vp / Associate General Counsel / Data Privacy Leader

  Avalara

  Oct 2021 - Present - Seattle, Washington, United States

  Serve on the legal leadership team as in-house counsel for this formerly publicly traded SaaS company, a global leader in tax automation, which was recently taken private via an acquisition by private equity firm Vista Equity Partners.• Established Avalara’s global privacy office and chair a cross-functional group tasked with building and maturing Avalara’s privacy compliance program.• Develop governance and oversee privacy compliance, including GDPR, CCPA, and LGPD. Partner with stakeholders across the business on Avalara’s privacy strategy and implementation efforts.• Supervise legal work for Brazil subsidiary. Advise Brazil business, manage local counsel, and provide internal support and advocacy to the managing director and various cross-functional teams.• Head up commercial transactions and business development for the legal team. Partner with sales and business development leadership. Draft and negotiate inbound/outbound commercial agreements including SaaS agreements, partner agreements, software licensing contracts, consulting engagements, and other contractual types.• Work with product launch teams to bring new products to market—delving into requirements, analyzing integration issues with regard to Avalara’s business and financial systems, and supporting product development from initial inception to market readiness. Efforts include advising on legal compliance, data collection and usage, privacy matters, pricing structure, terms, and sales and marketing tools.• Collaborate extensively with the General Counsel and various business unit leaders across the company, including SVP and C-level leaders in Security, Business Development, Marketing, Human Resources, Engineering, Finance, and Product Development.