Njeri Mutura has worked in several countries where her focus has been acting as a trusted adviser to global organizations, particularly on legal and regulatory issues pertaining to emerging technologies. Having practiced law as in-house counsel as well as a member of law firms in several jurisdictions, including the United States, Canada, the Middle East and Africa, Njeri can lend a valuable perspective to any organization or board. She currently leads a team that provides legal counsel to Microsoft Corporation’s enterprise business in the West and Midwest Regions of the United States that in aggregate book an annual revenue estimated at 5 billion dollars annually. Njeri’s team handles some of the most complex and lucrative transactions in the company and she sits on several leadership teams aimed at driving strategy and executing on impactful projects and priorities for the intricate and intensely competitive Microsoft business.

As a notable thought leader, Njeri is a sought-after speaker in the space of law and technology. In addition to spearheading forums where she interacts with leading legal and business minds across the globe on pertinent issues such as cybersecurity, data privacy and protection, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, block chain and the internet of things, Njeri is often invited to such forums as a keynote speaker. She has had the privilege of delivering many presentations with CLE accreditation in several mediums, including those organized by the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), California Lawyers Association (CLA), Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC), National Bar Association (NBA), National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) and the International Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). In addition to writing several published articles such as “The role of counsel in an age where data is vital currency”, Njeri has trained hundreds of leaders from Fortune 500 companies and serves on boards and committees to lend her expertise on a variety of matters. Njeri is a member of the Ontario Bar and the State Bar of California.

Recent Projects:

– Trusted adviser, lead counsel and negotiator on several complex transactions often valued at upwards of 1 billion dollars aimed at enabling Fortune 50 companies to digitally transform their operations and run their critical business solutions and infrastructure on Microsoft cloud.

– Lead negotiator for multi-faceted deal with leading media & entertainment company to co-develop technology hosted on Microsoft’s cloud platform. The aim was to transform the company’s movie content creation workflows and solve some of their most complex content production challenges through digitization. The transaction incorporated co-innovation, co-sell and go to market terms.

– Led team that structured and negotiated a transaction with a leading retail chain that procured Microsoft’s cloud platform to digitally transform its business and develop artificial intelligence and machine learning models to enable utilization of insights to increase efficiency, grow customer base and improve customer experiences.

Led legal support for a transaction with world-class developer and manufacturer of advanced propulsion and energetics systems for customers such as United States DoD and NASA, to migrate their business to Microsoft cloud, while addressing stringent regulatory requirements.

·       Managed and led multiple teams tasked with providing guidance on legal and regulatory aspects of inaugural Microsoft launch of ground-breaking Television Whitespaces (TVWS) technology projects in a variety of Middle East and African jurisdictions.

Since establishing her current team in Southern California about 3 years ago, Njeri and her team have built a strong presence in the area. This has been done through a multitude of efforts including, proximity engagement with local enterprise customers and increased collaboration with government and regulatory affairs professionals on issues pertinent to local businesses. As a reflection of her passion for enabling and enhancing communities through technology and giving, Njeri and her team have also deepened relationships with the Southern California community through various CSR efforts, including those targeted at the LA Promise Fund, United Way, 100 Black Men and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). Her team has also hosted pro-bono legal clinics at the Microsoft offices in Los Angeles and has been honored to receive the Association of Corporate Counsel, Southern California Pro-bono and Justice Award for the year 2020.

Awards, Achievements and Current Service

Board of Directors – Member, Association of Corporate Counsel

Steerco member, United Nations Conferences on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Global Good

Chair, Social Justice & Equity Committee, Blacks at Microsoft (BAM)

Justice Award, Pro bono and Community Service, Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)

Award for Excellence in deal execution, Microsoft CELA, USA

Leadership Award, GDPR and CCPA Programs, Microsoft CELA, USA

Middle East & Africa Circle of Excellence, Microsoft Award for Exemplary Achievement