Associate Counsel - Commercial Contracting & Tendering

JESUS SANTOS (LONDON, UK)

**************@*******.*** : +447*********

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Associate counsel with 14+ years’ experience in commercial contracting, procurement and legal support within multinational organisations including ACI Worldwide and chevron. Qualified in contract negotiation, drafting and regulatory compliance, with a strong track record managing high-value, complex agreements across multiple jurisdictions.

Experience in advising stakeholders, leading tender process, and mitigating contractual risk. Currently seeking to further develop within a dynamic legal environment, contributing strategic legal insight and commercial value.

CORE SKILLS

• Commercial Contracting Drafting & Negotiation

• Supplier & Client Agreements (IT, Licensing, Services)

• Regulatory Compliance & risk Management

• Tendering (RFP/RFI) & Bid Evaluation

• Stakeholder Management (Senior Leadership & External clients)

• Contract Lifecycle Management systems (CMS, Ariba, Salesforce)

• Dispute Resolution & Contract Governance

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ACI WORLWIDE (EMEA) LIMITED – London, UK

Associate Counsel January 2025 – March 2026

Solicitor Trainee 2018 – 2025

Senior contracts Specialist / Contracts Specialist 2017 – 2018

• Drafted and negotiated complex commercial agreements for payments solutions, managing 30-40 contracts monthly valued at £30-50M

• Led contract negotiations with key international clients, safeguarding commercial terms and mitigating legal risk

• Advised internal stakeholders on contractual obligations, compliance, and procurement strategy

• Managed full contract lifecycle, including amendments, renewals, and dispute resolution

• Designed and implemented a Contract management system (CMS) improving visibility and efficiency across business units

• Led RFP process, including drafting documentation, evaluating bids, and recommending supplier selection

• Developed tender evaluation frameworks, improving supplier selection accuracy and governance 2

• Built strong cross-functional relationships with finance, risk, compliance, and GDPR teams to ensure regulatory adherence

• Produced contract status reports and insights for senior leadership to support Strategic decision- making

CHEVRON - Luanda, Angola

Strategic Procurement Contract Analyst 2011 – 2016

• Managed ~ 200 contracts valued at $700M across production operations

• Drafted and negotiated high-value supplier agreements, achieving cost savings and improved commercial terms

• Delivered $300k cost savings through supplier renegotiation and long – term agreement strategy

• Developed and implemented a should-cost model, reducing sourcing costs by up to 20%

• Led complex tender processes, including supplier evaluation, bid analysis, and contract award recommendations

• Strengthened supplier base by onboarding 50+ new suppliers, increasing competition and negotiation leverage

• Partnered with leadership on budgeting and procurement strategy

• Improved contract process by digitising contract brief and standardising workflows EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Legal Practice Course (LPC), 2021-2024

• Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), 2019-2021

• BA (hons) Business & Financial Management, University of Sunderland – 2:1

• IACCM Certification (Contract & Commercial Management) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

o

• Bilingual: English & Portuguese

• Systems: Ariba, Salesforce, CMS Platforms

• References available upon request

Contact this candidate