Manufacturing
Financial Services
Professional Services
Technology, Information and Media
Wholesale
ActiveIrina Sharapova profile photo

Irina Sharapova

Fractional Commercial & Technology Counsel

About Me

Irish-qualified solicitor with 20+ years’ international in-house experience specialising in commercial contracting, technology transactions and procurement. I support businesses with complex contract negotiations, SaaS and technology agreements, contract frameworks, playbooks and contracting process improvement. My experience includes senior in-house roles with global organisations, most recently supporting Stripe’s Commercial Legal team, as well as extensive experience leading global technology contracting and procurement legal support at Kerry Group. I bring a practical, commercially focused approach to helping teams manage contractual risk and get deals done efficiently.

Jurisdiction

Region: Europe

Notable Employer

  • Senior In-House Commercial Legal Counsel (Contract Engagement) at Stripe
  • Senior Legal Counsel at Kerry Group plc

Experience

Seniority LevelDirector
Years of Experience20+ years
Current StatusActive
Senior In-House Commercial Legal Counsel (Contract Engagement) NotableStripe
2023 - 2026

Embedded within Stripe’s Commercial Legal team, supporting enterprise commercial contracting across EMEA and international markets. Drafted and negotiated MSAs, SOWs, SaaS agreements, NDAs, DPAs and other commercial agreements; led customer negotiations; partnered with Sales, Privacy and Security; and managed complex matters within established playbooks and escalation frameworks.

Commercial Legal Consultant, AI Contract Review ProjectEudia
2026 - 2026

Reviewed and analysed SaaS agreements to support the development of an AI-assisted contract review solution for a global technology company. Provided clause-level legal analysis and structured contracting guidance for use in AI-enabled review workflows.

Senior Legal CounselNotableKerry Group plc
2004 - 2023

Senior in-house counsel with responsibility for global enterprise technology contracting and, during the final four years, primary legal support to Global & EMEA Procurement. Led complex technology, SaaS, cloud, services and procurement negotiations; developed templates, playbooks and contracting frameworks; supported strategic transactions and transformation projects; and advised senior stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions.

EMEA Contract ManagerAvaya
2000 - 2004

Negotiated and managed commercial and technology agreements, including Value Added Reseller arrangements, across EMEA.

Education

Masters of Commercial LawUniversity College Dublin
1998 - 2000
Degree of Civil LawMoscow Academy of Law
1990 - 1996
Diploma of Diploma in Applied Finance LawLaw Society of Ireland
2004 - 2005
Diploma of Practitioner Certificate in Data ProtectionLaw Society of Ireland
2021 - 2022

Certification

Total Certifications1

Solicitor

Law Society of Ireland

2007

Credential ID: S12304

Skills

Core skills10
Interests8
Languages3

Skills

Commercial Contract Negotiation
Commercial Contract Drafting
Contract Management
Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM)
SaaS Agreements
Technology Transactions
Technology Procurement
Contract Risk Management
Contract Playbooks
Legal Operations

Interests

Fractional Legal Support
Outsourced Contract Management
Commercial Contracting Projects
Legal Operations & Contract Optimisation
AI & Legal Technology
Technology & SaaS
Procurement Transformation
Post-M&A Contract Integration

Languages

English
Italian
Russian