David V.

About David V.

Experienced in-house legal counsel with a strong track record supporting technology companies through growth, innovation, and regulatory complexity. Currently Head of Legal (AMER) at Cognite LLC, I lead legal strategy for commercial transactions, go-to-market initiatives, and product development involving generative AI (GenAI), Industrial AI, SaaS, and cloud solutions.I bring deep expertise in negotiating and closing deals ranging from $10K to $8M+ ARR across diverse sectors. Skilled in building scalable legal functions, managing risk, and providing practical, business-minded counsel on data privacy (GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA), IP, compliance, corporate governance, M&A, and emerging tech.In addition to my in-house roles at Cognite, Mitratech, and CDW, I have 10+ years of experience in business and investor immigration (E-1, E-2, EB-5), supporting startups and global enterprises in securing and managing international talent.I thrive at the intersection of law, tech, and innovation - partnering closely with business teams to accelerate growth while managing legal risk.

Experience

1. In-house Counsel

   Cognite

   May 2023 — Present · Austin, TX, US

   Draft, structure, and negotiate sophisticated commercial agreements including MSAs, SaaS, open-source licensing, procurement agreements, security policies, and SOWs, supporting strategic transactions from initial design through execution.Integrate AI-driven workflows and automation into legal, compliance, and commercial processes, enhancing contract lifecycle management, accelerating deal velocity, and improving risk identification and mitigation across global operations.Lead high value negotiations for multi million dollar agreements with national and international customers, including Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies.Serve as primary legal partner to product and policy teams on integrity, safety, and compliance issues for emerging technologies including Generative AI.Advise globally on data privacy, security, and regulatory compliance, ensuring alignment with GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and related frameworks, and conduct sanctions screening, data ops risk reviews, and vendor due diligence.Deliver strategic legal support in all relevant legal matters to Cognite stakeholders, including property, new/special projects, privacy, intellectual property and employment law, etc.Lead efforts in litigation and other dispute resolution processes, safeguarding the company\'s interests.Review and assess vendor agreements, open source licenses, marketing materials, and corporate documentation to identify and mitigate legal, insurance, and reputational risks.Support cross-border compliance by enhancing legal controls, reviewing third-party risks, and advising on operations involving high-risk jurisdictions. Partner closely with the C-suite and Director-level stakeholders, delivering practical, business-aligned legal guidance across high-impact areas.Contribute to the enablement of frontier technologies while supporting Cognite’s expansion in the Americas, Saudi Arabia, Japan, India, and EMEA.

Education

• St. Mary's University

  Juris Doctorate , Law

  2012 — 2015

• The University of Texas at San Antonio

  Bachelor of Business Administration - BBA, Marketing

  2006 — 2010

• Sandler

  Sales

  2012 — 2017