René Schneider
Attorney at Law · LL.M (IP) · DPO · CIPP-E · AI Officer & AI Governance Professional · Compliance Officer · Information Security Officer · ISO 27001 Lead Auditor
Senior Commercial, Data, AI, Innovation, Privacy & Compliance Counsel
20+ years of leadership experience in international law and compliance.
Business-focused solutions for complex, high-value projects.
Proven deal-maker expertise with demonstrated ability to "get things done."
Strategic risk manager transforming complex legal challenges into competitive business advantages
Expert in ICT, innovation, tech transactions, XaaS, privacy, digitalization and AI
Passion for innovation, improvements, challenging tasks and kite surfing
Core Areas of Expertise
Commercial ICT, innovation & tech transactions
XaaS, cloud & digital transformation
Privacy & AI Compliance
Software, open source, IP Licensing and Copyright
SW / Cloud Partnerships, Channel & Reselling
European R&D programs, Joint Technology Initiatives
Export Control, Compliance & Regulatory Monitoring
IT - Security NIS2, DORA & ISO 27001
Successful Projects
400+
XaaS, HW/SW, Service, Cloud, Outsourcing - Projects
100+
IP, SW, Cloud LIcense & Reselling Contracts
600+
R&D-Projects (private & public) with strategic IP - Monetization
~80
Public EVB-IT tenders / year
200+
DPA & privacy related contracts
80+
Corporate & SME Clients as external DPO
~300 Mio €
project volume / year
+ fun
with (the most of) it
PRofessional CAREER
Attorney at Law
Since 06/2005
Co-Founder & Managing Director PRICOM
Since 04/2024
Senior Legal Advisor (ext)
CANCOM Since 02/2024
DeepL (08/25–01/2026)
Aleph Alpha (02/24–04/2025)
Director Legal
CGI
06/2021 – 08/2024
Senior Privacy Consultant & DPO DataGuard
03/2020 – 01/2024
Director Legal & Senior IP Counsel Cognizant Technology Solutions
06/2018 – 09/2020
Head of Legal European Research Center
Huawei Technologies
08/2012 – 12/2017
Senior Legal Counsel
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft e.V.
12/2008 – 08/2012
Legal Counsel
HSE 24
06/2005 – 12/2008
2024 – Present
Senior Legal Advisor (ext.) — CANCOM, DeepL & IPAI Aleph Alpha
Clients
CANCOM GmbH, Munich
Digital IT solutions, AI, security, cloud, IoT infrastructure and XaaS provider for enterprises and public sector organizations.
DeepL SE, Cologne
Global leader in Language AI technology with 100k+ business customers and millions of individual daily license users.
IPAI Aleph Alpha Research GmbH, Heidelberg
Lighthouse AI company for trustworthy and transparent AI models and adaptive AI systems.
Main Fields of Expertise
  • Commercial IT HW, XaaS, SW, cloud & digital transformation deals up to €150M project value
  • 80+ public EVB-IT tenders per year
  • AI-related R&D, tech and licensing transactions with industry and academics
  • AI Product Compliance (AI Act) and IP/Copyright issues
  • Software, open source, IP licensing and reselling
  • IP strategies and data privacy policies
  • Data privacy, copyright and export control
  • Compliance and regulatory monitoring
2024 – Present · Major Projects
Landmark Projects: CANCOM, DeepL & Aleph Alpha
SOC Modernization
Scalable VMware virtualization platform for DB InfraGO.
Hospital IT Modernization
HPE GreenLake for scalable consumption-based storage solution.
100,000+ Client Workplace
End-to-end management for Germany's largest public IT administration.
Device-as-a-Service
Frame agreement for 100k+ users with Germany's largest retail group.
Dell APEX Subscription
Long-term consumption-based infrastructure for a leading global IT security company.
30+ XaaS Licensing Projects
Strategic license and channel-reselling projects with global XaaS providers.
LLM & AI Compliance
AI Act, privacy and copyright-compliant LLM & AI systems development, including training data, SFT/RLHF datasets and compute resources.
Open-Source LLM Consortium
Groundbreaking cooperation of Europe's leading AI companies and research institutions for next-gen open-source LLMs; strategic collaboration with leading universities for transparent GenAI.
April 2024 – Present
Co-Founder & Managing Director - PRICOM
Specialized consulting start-up in data privacy, AI, compliance, IT security, and strategic consulting for data-driven business and innovation.
Data Privacy & External DPO
Full-service external Data Protection Officer services and data privacy management for corporate clients and SMEs.
AI Compliance & External AI Officer
AI Act compliance, Data Act advisory, and external AI/Compliance Officer mandates for data-driven businesses.
NIS2, DORA & ISO 27001
Officers and auditors for NIS2, DORA, and ISO 27001 — covering information security management systems and regulatory compliance.
PRICOM Website
June 2021 – August 2024
Director Legal — CGI Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Munich
Leading global IT services, digital transformation, technology and consulting company — ~89,000 employees, revenues 2021: CAD $12.1 billion.
Fields of Expertise
  • International commercial IT services and XaaS tech transactions for Telco, Aerospace, Automotive and Public Clients
  • Software, open source, IP licensing, reselling and managed services
  • Data privacy and regulatory affairs; export control and compliance
  • Successful negotiations in complex XaaS, Managed Services, Outsourcing, Cloud and digital transformation deals with up to 3-digit million TCV
  • Strategic data privacy consulting for IT Services, XaaS, product development and DPAs incl. GDPR-compliant international data transfers
  • Lead Counsel for Cloud Partnerships and Software/IP licensing and reselling business
  • Strategic regulatory monitoring for digitalization, data privacy, AI and future monetization of data-driven business models
  • Managing external law firms in commercial transactions
Major Successful Projects
City Education IT Transformation
Development and delivery of integrated digitally transformed IT systems and services for the Department of Education and Sports of a large German city.
Door James SaaS
Customized SaaS Terms for global rollout of CGI's award-winning "Door James" Smart Office SaaS Solution.
IONOS Cloud Partnership
Establishment of strategic IONOS Cloud Partnership enabling innovative GDPR-compliant IaaS Solutions for several public clients.
ESA / EUMETSAT / GALILEO
Several projects for next-generation ESA, EUMETSAT and GALILEO satellite networks.
FEbruary 2020 – January 2024 · Concurrent Role
Senior Privacy Consultant & DPO — DataGuard (DataCo GmbH), Munich
"Privacy-as-a-Service," DPO legal-tech, compliance and IT security provider for 4,000+ international business customers. This role was held concurrently with positions at Cognizant and CGI.
DPMS & Audits
Strategic development and implementation of data protection management systems, audits, TOMs, IT-security and privacy compliance strategies.
GDPR Product Enablement
Enabling GDPR-compliant products, services, marketing, IT and digitization projects and business expansion for corporate customers and SMEs.
Contracts & DPAs
Pragmatic data privacy and legal advice in vendor, cooperation, IT, XaaS contracts, DPAs, joint controller agreements, privacy by design and privacy trainings.
Data Breaches & DSRs
Handling, coordination and risk mitigation of data subject requests and data breaches with Controllers, Processors, Supervisory Authorities and Data Subjects.
Compliance-as-a-Service
Strategic development of new business model "Compliance as a Service" for Series B financing; development of "Internal Whistleblowing Policy" template for customers.
Bitkom Advisory
Member of Bitkom Privacy & AI Advisory Groups and "global 3rd country data transfer" task force.
June 2018 – September 2020
Director Legal & Senior IP Counsel — Cognizant Technology Solutions GmbH, Munich
Leading global ICT services, digital transformation, technology and outsourcing provider — ~270,000 employees, revenues 2019: $16.8 billion.
Fields of Expertise
  • International contracts, commercial and technology transactions
  • Intellectual property, licensing, IT, software, open source
  • International and European R&D projects
  • Data privacy, trade control, export control and antitrust/competition law
  • Corporate law, M&A, compliance
  • Strategic legal negotiation in complex XaaS, Outsourcing, Managed Services, Cloud, digital transformation and AI deals with 3-digit million TCV
  • EMEA Lead Counsel for Strategic Partnerships, Alliances and Software channel sales, reselling and licensing business
  • Development and implementation of European IP protection and exploitation strategies and policies
  • Leading negotiation of international R&D cooperation with industry, academics, start-ups and public funding bodies
Major Successful Projects
Finnish Banking Transformation
Digital transformation of banking services with 3 Finnish banks incl. licensing and development of T24 core banking solution (50M+ € Vol.).
EU Software Channel Sales
Transformation and standardization of EU Software Channel Sales/Reselling business and contracts, achieving significant efficiencies and risk reduction.
Trade & Export Control Guidelines
Developing customized global and EU Trade and Export Control Guidelines.
August 2012 – January 2018
Head of Legal Dept., European Research Center — Huawei Technologies, Munich
Leading global ICT provider — ~175,000 employees, revenues 2017: $92.0 billion. Managing overall legal advice for the European Research Institute (ERI), German Research Center and subsidiaries in 8+ European locations (700+ employees, investment €1 billion p.a.).
Fields of Expertise
  • International contract and commercial law; IP, licensing, IT and telecommunications law
  • International and European R&D programs and Joint Technology Initiatives
  • Data privacy, export control and competition law
  • Individual and collective employment law; corporate law, M&A, real estate, compliance
  • Strategic legal and commercial consulting in complex IT HW/SW Supply, Service, Licensing, M&A and Outsourcing projects with 3-digit million € volumes
  • Leading negotiation of 100+ multilateral R&D, license, cooperation and procurement agreements per year with global industry partners, universities and R&D organisations
  • Legal key account for Autonomous Driving (5G Automotive Association, BMVI Providentia, Autopilot) and Industry 4.0 Lighthouse Projects
  • Strategic consulting on Horizon2020, 5G Automotive Association, 5G PPP, Big Data PPP, EIT Digital
  • Several years management experience building a Legal Dept. from scratch, supervising 2 Legal Counsels
  • Legal Representative in 5G Automotive Association, 5G PPP, Digital Europe
Major Successful Projects
LTE/RAN/vEPC Network Roll-Out
Turnkey roll-out, TUPE & employee transfer with global network operator (~390M+ € Vol.).
High Precision Manufacturing Center
Real estate purchase, EPC and equipment contracts to build High Precision Manufacturing Technology Center (50M+ € Vol.).
Leica Strategic Partnership
Strategic long-term optical engineering partnership for smartphone photography with Leica.
5G Automotive Association
Foundation of the 5G Automotive Association (Statutes, By-Laws, Membership Agreements, etc.).
GSM-R Railway Tender
Public tender for GSM-R turnkey swap of Europe's largest railway company (140M+ € Vol.).
Europe's Largest Indoor WIFI
Turnkey supply, I&C and maintenance of Europe's largest indoor WIFI installation.
Earlier Career
Earlier Career Highlights
1
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Munich
Senior Legal Counsel "IP, Public and EU-Projects" (12/2008 – 08/2012). Applied R&D organization, ~20,000 employees, R&D budget 2011: €1.85 billion.
  • Global multilateral cooperation, license, R&D and confidentiality agreements (~350 FP7/H2020 projects, PPPs).
  • Legal, commercial consulting in international civil, military and EC-funded bids in ICT.
  • Lobbying vis-à-vis the European Commission and Joint Technology Initiatives.
  • DESCA Core Group Member (development V3 Model Consortium Agreement).
2
Bayerische Patentallianz GmbH, Munich
Of Counsel "Licensing and IP" (01/2012 – 08/2012, in parallel to Fraunhofer). Central patent and marketing agency of 28 Bavarian universities.
  • Option, licensing and transfer agreements, NDA, MTA
  • IP, patent and copyright law; software and IT law;
  • legal consulting on management and exploitation of intellectual property.
3
E-Plus Mobilfunk GmbH & Co. KG, Düsseldorf
Legal Counsel "Intellectual Property Law and Wholesale" (05/2008 – 12/2008). European Telecommunications Company of KPN Group, ~2,300 employees, revenues 2008: €3.0 billion.
  • Negotiation of complex content, MVNO and sales agreements;
  • Handling approval of termination rates and roaming charges at BNetzA and EC;
  • Judicial and extrajudicial litigation with competitors and authorities.
4
Home Shopping Europe GmbH (HSE24), Ismaning
Legal Counsel "IP & Competition Law," Youth Protection Officer (06/2005 – 05/2008). European media and mail-order company, ~500 employees, turnover 2008: €350 million.
  • Strategic management and enforcement of entire IP portfolio (600+ trademarks, 500 domains)
  • legal protection for labelling, marketing and distribution of all products;
  • legal advice and trainings for TV sales, e-commerce, procurement, marketing and HR;
  • external lobbying (VPRT, BVH, Wettbewerbszentrale, VSW, Bitkom).
Education & Certifications
Professional Education & Certifications
Professional Certifications
2025 — Information Security Officer (TÜV) & ISMS Auditor (ISO 27001:2022)
2024 — AI Officer & AI Governance Professional (AIGP) — IAPP
2020 — Data Protection Officer – DSB (TÜV)
2018 — CIPP/E — Certified International Privacy Professional Europe, IAPP
2016 — Certified Compliance Officer, University Augsburg (good, 1.68 points)
2009–2010 — Specialized Lawyer (Fachanwalt) "Corporate and Commercial Law"
2005 — LL.M. "Intellectual Property Law," University of Düsseldorf (excellent: 13.62 points)
2004 — 2nd Legal State Examination, North Rhine-Westphalia (satisfactory: 6.60 points, Major: European Community Law)
University & Academic Education
2002 — 1st Legal State Examination, Rhineland-Palatinate (satisfactory: 7.62 points, Major: European Community Law)
1996–2002 — Law School, Faculty of Law, University of Trier
1998–1999 — Erasmus Studies "European Community and Competition Law," Lund University, Sweden (excellent with distinction: 15.00 points)
1998 — Special Education "Anglo-American Law," University of Trier (satisfactory: 66.0 points)
2002–2003 — Special Education "Intellectual Property Law," ITM, University of Münster (very satisfactory: 10.50 points)
1986–1995 — High School "Staatliches Gymnasium a.d. Asterstein," Koblenz (University-entrance diploma, Good: 2.6)
Skills & Personal Profile
Personal Skills, Languages & Interests
Personal Skills & Attitude
  • Pragmatic hands-on business enabler and deal maker
  • Customer-focused and goal-driven "getting it done" actions
  • Passion for innovation, improvements and challenging tasks
  • Professional, courageous and ambitious intercultural negotiation skills
  • Risk Manager primarily focusing on opportunities to seize business potential
  • Deep commercial and technical acumen
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities under high pressure
  • Highly organized and able to work independently with very little supervision
  • Positive, confident, respectful, professional communication and personality
  • Ability to break down abstract complex issues into risk-measured decision making and useful business practice
  • Leadership & Management by trust, empowerment, challenge and appreciation
Language Skills
🇩🇪 German
Native
🇬🇧 English
Business fluent
🇸🇪 Swedish
Basic knowledge
🇫🇷 French
Basic knowledge
Interests
Travelling, sports (diving, swimming, fitness, kitesurfing), maintaining friendships.
Thought Leadership
Speaker, Panelist & Publications
IAPP Danube Joint KnowledgeNet Meeting — 12/2024
Speaker: Interplay between the DGA, Data Act, GDPR, and the role of data altruism in shaping the future of AI development.
IAPP KnowledgeNet Stuttgart — 07/2024
Speaker & Panelist: "Data Act: Legal and commercial implications of data access obligations."
Bundesverband der Unternehmensjuristen — 07/2024
Speaker: "Speeddating mit dem Data Act."
AI IP Europe 2022 Conference
Panellist: "Data: how to manage this increasingly valuable asset."
5th World Legal AI Summit 2022
Moderator Panel: "Challenges of new European Regulations for Data and AI Systems."
EPIC Summit 2022
Speaker: "Selected Challenges of Data Act."
Publications
Data Act – Switching of Data Processing Services: Recommendations for Service Providers.
Bitkom Praxisleitfaden KI & Datenschutz
Recognition
Awards & Recognition
🏆 5G Automotive Association Award
2017 — Recognized for foundational legal contributions to the 5G Automotive Association.
🤝 Huawei ERI "Handshake & Coordination Award"
2017 — Awarded by Huawei European Research Institute for outstanding coordination and collaboration.
⭐ Huawei ERC "Best Practice Award"
2015 — Awarded by Huawei European Research Center for best practice in legal and commercial management.
References
References - What Colleagues, Supervisors and Customers say

Legal Expertise, Risk Manager & Negotiater

„Rene is a senior, highly skilled and very experienced in-house counsel... A very skilled negotiator seeking for favorable conditions and flexible options for mutual gains.“ Torsten Küpper – VP|Executive Advisor, Government Affairs & Tech, Huawei „René has broad legal skills and high competence in dealing with difficult phases of contract negotiations with international background. His 'get the deal done' approach is just perfect.“ Dirk Barcaba – Partner, Bird & Bird „René is an excellent lawyer and privacy expert. His work always went above and beyond our expectations.“ Dr. Orsolya Salla – Director Global Data Privacy, BorgWarner „René is a highly trained and educated IP, IT and Privacy lawyer who has always worked to bring concrete solutions.“ Christophe R. Meert – Senior International Lawyer, Cognizant

Innovation, R&D and Technology

„Rene Schneider is one of the best legal counsels I have worked with... Thanks to his contributions we were able to establish vibrant research collaborations with leading universities.“ Indranil Mitra – Vice President LTIMindtree „Rene was an excellent guide during my innovation projects setup phase in explaining the legal complications around IP ownership related issues.“ Ishan Vaishnavi – Head of Network Automation Nokia & Huawei „Rene has excellent legal, social and negotiation skills which he brought in for establishing the 5G Automotive Association.“ Markus Dillinger – Director 5G Industry Communications, Huawei

Cooperation & Teamwork

„René is a skilled and focused lawyer and incredibly fun to work with. He always offers a helping hand when needed.“ Ludwig Ederle – Director CGI „Working with you is incredibly fun, easy and excellent in terms of content. Your experience and expertise in the product business is incredibly valuable.“ Lisa Brauer – Managing Director, digihub Düsseldorf / CGI „As a strong and confident negotiator, he is a valuable asset to any team. I have always appreciated René's team spirit and 'can do' attitude.“ Antje de' Liguori Carino – Senior Legal Counsel Huawei „It was a fortune to have him as my counterpart — he was always open minded, very professional and practice-oriented.“ Christian Coulin – Senior Legal Counsel Frequentis

Business focus & getting it done

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Complete References:
References
Professional References
LinkedIn References
Samuel Weinbach
Founder and Managing Director IPAI Aleph Alpha Research GmbH samuel.weinbach@aleph-alpha-ip.ai
Matthias Meister
Regional Counsel UK & Europe Mindtree, Frankfurt Tel: +49 178 4602797 · matthias.meister1@gmx.net
2018–2020: Head of Commercial Legal CE/LATAM, Cognizant Technology Solutions GmbH
Torsten Küpper, LL.M.
VP Government Relations & Public Policy – Europe Honeywell Technologies Tel: +49 163 4770834
2012–2017: Vice President Corporate & Public Affairs, Vice General Counsel, Huawei Technologies Düsseldorf GmbH
Dr. Georg Kreuz
Chief IP Counsel Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, München Tel: +49 151 65416932
2012–2017: Chief IP Counsel, Huawei Technologies Düsseldorf GmbH
Raymond Korhon
Director Provider Sales Fritz! GmbH,
München 2012–2017: Key Account Director, Huawei Technologies Deutschland GmbH
Projekt: Globale ICT Unternehmen
Legal Director · Head of Legal · EMEA Lead-Counsel
Senior IP Counsel
Senior Privacy Counsel
+200 Projekte
Beratung bei komplexen XaaS-, Software-, Cloud-, Outsourcing- und KI-Projekten mit bis zu dreistelligem Millionenvolumen
Bis 600 Mio. €
Erfolgreiche Sales/Outsourcing-Deals in IT, Telco, Automotive und Aerospace mit strategischer IP-Verwertung
80+ Großkunden
Datenschutzberatung inkl. Risikomanagement, AVVs, Joint-Controller-Vereinbarungen und maßgeschneiderte Datenschutzerklärungen
EMEA Lead Counsel
Cloud Partnerships, Software & IP Lizenzen, Reselling sowie strategische Monetarisierung datengetriebener Geschäftsmodelle
📍 Munich, Germany
📞 +49 163 3307500