Avril Liu
Compliance Analyst
Xinyi “Avril” Liu is a Contracts and Negotiations Manager at XL Law & Consulting P.A., where she provides strategic legal guidance on sponsored research agreements, data privacy, and compliance for higher education and research institutions. Avril brings a wealth of experience in negotiating complex international and domestic contracts, focusing on intellectual property, export control, and data use agreements.
In addition to her role at XL Law & Consulting, Avril serves as the Contracts and Negotiations Manager, overseeing a $1 billion research portfolio at one of the leading research and teaching universities in the country. She manages the drafting, negotiation, and execution of agreements related to clinical trials, research collaborations, and confidentiality. Her expertise ensures that institutional interests are safeguarded, particularly in the areas of data privacy and regulatory compliance.
Prior to her current roles, Avril worked as a Contract Negotiator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, managing a $1.6 billion research portfolio and working closely with legal teams on complex negotiations involving federal regulations and intellectual property. She also played a key legal role in the Foxconn project, a $10 billion public-private partnership in Wisconsin, where she negotiated critical agreements for infrastructure development.
Avril is a Juris Doctorate candidate at DePaul University College of Law and holds LL.M. degrees from both the University of Wisconsin Law School and Nanjing University. Fluent in English and Mandarin, she frequently presents at national conferences on contract negotiation and research administration. Chair of Northwestern University Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Staff and Office of Research DEI Council, her efforts have helped faculty secure competitive research funding, facilitating projects that drive academic excellence.