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Technology Transactions

ArentFox Schiff's Technology Transactions group understands that clients use legal services in technology transactions to solve business problems and maximize opportunities.

We are a business technology practice with sophisticated intellectual property and cybersecurity experience. Our team advises companies from a range of industries on cloud services, data agreements, and technology transactions to meet their evolving business needs, gain competitive advantage, mitigate risk, comply with regulations, and achieve productive relationships with customers, vendors, and business partners.

In today’s world of connected devices, the Internet of Things, wireless communications, mobile computing, and public, private, and hybrid clouds, telecommunications experience is a critical component of successful technology transactions. We implement technology agreements that are designed to meet compliance with privacy and cybersecurity regulations and corporate data protection policies.

Our team is led by partner Alan Fishel, who is widely recognized as a leading technology lawyer. In recognition of his experience in technology and wireless and mobile technologies, Legal 500 US has named Mr. Fishel one of the nation’s leading telecommunications lawyers. 

Our Focus

We advise technology sector companies on structuring co-development and similar agreements and on commercializing products and services, including entering into joint ventures without compromising control of their technology and IP. We combine our tech and IP experience to provide leading edge services and knowledge of best practices. We assist clients in averting adverse business outcomes that can arise in collaborative developments where multiple parties claim ownership of joint improvements.

Our team routinely handles software licenses and development; hardware acquisition and modernization; domestic, offshore, and nearshore IT; business process and knowledge process outsourcing; data agreements; clouds services; Big Data; mobile and social media; and the integration of these technologies into existing computer systems and business operations.

We have recognized strength in Health Care IT, Education IT, and in handling combined IT and IP transactions. Our team includes attorneys who were previously lawyers at intellectual property firms, have science and technical degrees, and worked at technology companies. We routinely advise clients where technology is directly integrated into new business models, such as FinTech, RetailTech, FashionTech, and AdvertisingTech and how they are distinguished from tech-only transactions.

We are a destination firm for the following technology transactions:

  • Cloud Services Agreements: This is a key component in upgrading IT systems. We handle software-, platform- and infrastructure-as-a- service architectures, as well as public, private and hybrid clouds.
  • Health Care IT: Our combination of IT and Health Care experience allows us to handle the highest level of transactional work and counseling to Health Care institutions.
  • Higher Education IT: We routinely help high education institutions in complying with federal and state regulatory requirements when acquiring technology.
  • IT-Enabled Cybersecurity: We assist clients in protecting against data breaches caused by IT vendors.
  • Outsourcing: We are pioneers in “next generation outsourcing,” which uses outsourcing to generate revenue and not just reduce internal costs.
  • Data Agreements: We often structure data sharing and Big Data and data analytics agreements.
  • Regulatory IT and Outsourcing: Companies in different industries are subject to regulatory regimes that must be reflected in technology agreements for the deal to be effective, meet compliance requirements, and address legal and business risks.
  • Telecommunications and Technology Transactions: We handle the regulatory and telecommunications aspects of technology transactions.

Our Work

Representative technology transactions include:

  • NASA for IP licensing and commercialization.
  • American Express, Morgan Stanley, MSCI, Nordea Bank, CLS Bank and other financial institutions for IT and outsourcing transactions with Tier 1 vendors and specialty financial sector vendors and outsourcing dispute resolution.
  • Guardian, AXA, Seneca and other insurance companies for outsourcing and IP litigation advice.
  • The Practising Law Institute to upgrade its computer systems.