Tiago M. Cruz
Seasoned Legal Counsel | Trusted Generalist In-House and Outside Counsel | International and Domestic Transactions Lawyer | Proficient Team Leader | Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance Advisor | Cross-jurisdictional Expert
About me
Jurisdiction
Angola | Brazil | Cape Verde | Equatorial Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | Congo | Gabon | Mozambique | Portugal | Spain | Timor-Leste | United States
Notable employer
- Legal Director - Global Procurement and Legal Operations at Pearson
- Team Lead Counsel - International at Morae Global
- International Negotiations Advisor at Noble Energy
Experience
- Directed legal oversight of all global procurement transactions for a major tech multinational, including complex AI and GenAI third-party agreements, open-source risks, and strategic high-value contracts. - Provided legal guidance to executives and procurement leadership, aligning legal strategy with corporate objectives and risk profiles. - Led the development and deployment of a company-wide Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system. - Designed and implemented legal policies and templates to ensure compliance with evolving tech-related regulations. - Coordinated 20+ regional in-house attorneys and managed 15+ external counsels to ensure unified legal standards and performance. - Oversaw legal operations optimization across structure, cybersecurity, and resource management.
- Led legal advisory for international operations of a major tech client, managing cross-border legal matters spanning M&A, IP, AI, SaaS, GDPR, real estate, antitrust, and ethics/compliance. - Supervised a multinational legal team (15+ internal SMEs and 10+ external counsels), ensuring efficient delivery and compliance in multi-jurisdictional frameworks. - Negotiated and structured major agreements, including an international MSA with a Big 4 firm and divestment strategies in Africa. - Oversaw dispute management including pre-litigation strategy and resolution in LATAM and EU jurisdictions.
- Served as lead negotiator and legal strategist in upstream and midstream energy projects across Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. - Advised executive leadership on legal risk, partnership structures, and compliance strategies in high-stakes negotiations. - Managed country-level legal representation and compliance in Mexico and Gabon, supervising local staff and ensuring contract execution under local and international laws.
- Opened and led multiple international offices, including in the U.S., Southeast Asia, and Central Africa. - Provided corporate legal services in M&A, contract negotiation (FEED, EPC, MSAs), regulatory compliance, and IP matters for global clients. - Supported clients with local compliance requirements, ethics, and business licensing, immigration and employment issues, and energy matters in highly regulated and emerging markets.
Educations
Certification
Portuguese Bar Association ("Ordem dos Advogados Portugueses").
Madrid Bar Association ("Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Madrid").