Audeena S. Ford, MBA

Senior Legal Operations | Compliance | Contract Management Professional

Talent

South Plainfield, NJ 07080Member since September 14, 2026

Legal OperationsGovernanceContract Lifecycle ManagementProcess ImprovementContract NegotiationHealthcare ComplianceNDAsLegal ResearcheDiscoveryClinical ResearchGenerative AIDigital Contract ToolsDatabase AdministrationMinimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) Policy EnforcementRetailer Compliance

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Legal OperationsGovernanceContract Lifecycle ManagementProcess ImprovementContract Negotiation

About

Results-driven Legal Operations and Compliance professional with 25+ years of experience partnering with attorneys, legal departments, and business stakeholders across legal operations, contract lifecycle management, compliance, regulatory, legal research, research and development, eDiscovery, governance, and process improvement. Proven ability to optimize legal and operational workflows, mitigate risk, and support high-volume, highly regulated environments across cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and healthcare-related regulated sectors. Credentials include MBA with ABA-approved Paralegal certification, Healthcare Compliance certification, and Project Management training.

Experience

Paralegal II – Legal, Research & Innovation (R&I) North America - L'Oréal USA - Clark, NJ

(2020-01)

Strategic Co-Leadership: Partner in a lean, high-performing, two-person legal team (comprising one attorney and myself) supporting all of L'Oréal R&I North America across 13 distinct business units.
Full Autonomy & Leadership Backup: Operate with complete independence as lead contract manager; supervise and approve workflows alongside my boss and serve as his designated sole backup and deputy during his absences.
High-Volume Contract Negotiation: Independently draft, redline, and negotiate a robust portfolio of agreements, including NDAs, MTAs, clinical research agreements, consulting contracts, and complex commercial master service agreements.
Cross-Border & IP Governance: Coordinate closely with global Patents, IT Security, and France-based Legal/R&I teams to clear intellectual property rights, resolve complex cross-border contract conflicts, and identify internal signatories.
Legal Tech & AI Pioneer: Champion continuous process improvement by leveraging generative AI (L'OréalGPT) and digital contract tools to optimize workflow efficiency, database administration, and legal risk reporting.

Dual-Role Assignment: MAP Administrator - L'Oréal USA - Clark, NJ

(2024-07 - 2025-10)

Administered the Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) policy enforcement for North American commercial teams (CPD/PPD), managing retailer compliance, distributing formal notices, and resolving policy violations.