Kiara L. Graves
Kiara Graves is an accomplished corporate attorney with over six years of experience in fintech, SaaS, and technology law. She currently serves as Legal Counsel, Corporate and Transactional at a leading fintech SaaS company, where she has been for just over a year. In this role, Kiara works in-house across North America, the Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, handling a broad spectrum of responsibilities. She collaborates closely with sales teams to review and negotiate enterprise contracts, manages privacy and regulatory matters, oversees corporate governance processes and compliance, and provides strategic guidance to mitigate risk across the organization. Her expertise spans technology transactions, commercial agreements, privacy, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance. Prior to her current role, Kiara spent two and a half years as an in-house attorney at an HR recruiting startup, her first foray into the private sector. Before transitioning to private industry, she served approximately four and a half years in various legal and policy roles at the National Security Agency, where she gained exposure to technology-related legal work. This government experience laid the foundation for her nontraditional path into in-house counsel positions, allowing her to leverage policy and technical expertise rather than traditional law firm experience. Her former supervisor, Sam Shaddox, created her first in-house role, recognizing her potential and giving her the opportunity to break into the private sector. Throughout her career, Kiara has consistently aligned business objectives with legal and regulatory requirements, mitigating risk while driving operational efficiency and revenue growth. She has a proven track record advising senior leadership and cross-functional teams on complex SaaS, licensing, and enterprise agreements, as well as privacy and compliance programs. Recognized among the National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, Kiara is committed to advancing legal innovation in the technology space and mentoring emerging professionals. She is known for turning legal frameworks from potential bottlenecks into strategic advantages, empowering businesses to operate with confidence and agility.
• University of Maryland - BA, Government and Politics
• University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC Law) - JD
• 40 Under 40 Recognition
• The National Black Lawyers 40 Under 40
• Association of Corporate Counsel
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a combination of perseverance, hard work, and the guidance of strong mentors and sponsors. Balancing the demands of work while attending law school instilled in me discipline and resilience, while mentors like my law school professor, Kosiso Oniya, and my former supervisor, Sam Shaddox, provided invaluable guidance and opportunities that shaped my career. I have also learned to embrace my nontraditional experiences as a distinct advantage, leveraging skills and perspectives from government and policy roles to excel in the in-house legal world and deliver meaningful impact.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to never let others dictate what I can or cannot do. I’ve learned to carve my own path, embracing nontraditional opportunities and trusting my abilities rather than feeling confined to a conventional trajectory. This principle has guided me throughout my career, enabling me to pursue unique roles, take calculated risks, and create opportunities that align with my strengths and passions.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say definitely don't let anyone tell you what you can't do. When I was coming into this space, being a woman and African American, those were already two niche areas when it comes to being a lawyer. I didn't take the traditional route to get to being an in-house attorney - most people say you work at a law firm, then you go in-house, but I didn't do that. I worked for the government for a few years in a quasi-policy attorney role, and then I was able to land my first in-house role. When I was interviewing, I had a discovery call with a headhunter who basically told me that based on my education - because I didn't go to a top-ranked law school, just the University of District of Columbia, not very high ranked - and because my work history wasn't normal for what they looked for, it would probably be hard for me to land an in-house role. But I didn't let that advice stop me. I was able to use the fact that I didn't have the traditional work history as an appealing factor in my interviews, and it helped me land my first in-house role, and now I'm on my second. I say all of that to say, especially now, you don't have to follow the traditional path that everyone tells you you have to do. You can carve out your own path, and if that's something that you want to do, you can do it.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
In the SaaS legal space, one of the biggest challenges is keeping pace with rapidly evolving AI and data privacy regulations while still enabling product innovation and commercial velocity. At the same time, there’s a major opportunity to leverage AI-driven contract lifecycle management and self-service legal tools to scale Legal’s impact, reduce friction in deal cycles, and empower business teams without increasing risk.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value perseverance, hard work, and family responsibility, both personally and professionally. I am passionate about mentorship and advocacy, particularly for young Black women attorneys), and I prioritize aligning my personal values with those of the organization I work with.