Timothy Obrien

About Timothy Obrien

I\'m a commercial contracts attorney with 15 years of in-house and law firm experience negotiating technology, data, and AI agreements for global financial services firms. I currently serve as Director and Assistant General Counsel at Cantor Fitzgerald, where I negotiate 100+ agreements annually across enterprise software licensing, SaaS, market data, AI/ML platforms, and regulatory compliance.What sets me apart is my hands-on experience with AI — not just from the contracting side, but as a builder and daily user. I\'ve negotiated agreements with AI platform providers and third-party AI tool vendors, addressing novel issues around model training on proprietary data and output ownership. I\'ve also designed AI-powered contract review workflows that automate playbook compliance analysis, vendor redline comparison, and business-facing issue memoranda — reducing contract turnaround time by 30%+.I work closely with C-suite executives, sales and trading teams, compliance, and business stakeholders across the firm. I direct the work of junior attorneys and build the commercial legal infrastructure — playbooks, templates, and process improvements — that helps the business move faster.Areas of focus: technology contract negotiation (buy & sell side), software licensing & SaaS, AI & machine learning agreements, intellectual property, vendor & third-party risk management, data privacy (GDPR), M&A contract due diligence, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance.Admitted to practice: New York (2011)

Experience

1. Director, Assistant General Counsel

   Cantor Fitzgerald

   Mar 2022 — Present · NY, US

   Director on a 10-attorney Intellectual Property and IT Transactions team within a 50-attorney legal department at a global financial services firm. Negotiate complex commercial agreements from both the buy and sell side related to information technology, software, data, and artificial intelligence. Partner with sales, go-to-market, and business teams to support deal velocity and provide practical legal guidance. Advise C-suite executives and business stakeholders on contractual obligations, AI/machine learning usage, intellectual property, data protection, and risk mitigation. Direct the work of four junior attorneys on contract negotiations and review. Build and maintain commercial legal infrastructure including contract playbooks, templates, and AI-powered process improvements.

Education

• University at Albany

  B.A., Psychology/Political Science

  2002 — 2006

• Cardozo School of Law

  Juris Doctor (J.D.), Corporate Law, Intellectual Property

  2007 — 2010