Overview
Outsourcing agreements are some of the most complex and technically difficult agreements into which companies will enter. The ongoing operational challenges that follow can be equally challenging. Coordination of internal resources is crucial, as is alignment with suppliers, as business needs change over the duration of the agreement. Despite such challenges, these agreements are growing in popularity as companies seek to use outsourcing agreements to find efficiencies, access new capabilities, and refocus resources and capital on their core businesses.
McDermott’s outsourcing team comprises lawyers who wrote the cornerstone legal treatise on outsourcing, provide access to download Master Outsourcing Services Agreements (MOSAs) for US and German Laws. The outsourcing MSAs were designed by our lawyers to be significantly shorter, scope agnostic, easily expandable, market tested and customizable.
We have extensive global experience, routinely work on the largest and most complex cross-border outsourcing arrangements in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia, and are widely recognized as the “go-to” team for market leading transactions.
Our clients—ranging from mid-market private companies to Fortune 50 corporations, along with global outsourcing industry giants and niche providers—turn to McDermott for our capabilities to advise on the spectrum of outsourcing services. Our work spans nearly every industry, including technology, telecommunications, IT, healthcare, life sciences, food and beverages, and manufacturing and industrials.
We provide an impressive offering of services, from evaluating the capabilities of potential outsourcing providers and drafting master services agreements to support during contract governance and remediating troubled relationships. In addition, we regularly train teams on contract adoption protocols and advise on interpretation. We have a deep bench of experienced lawyers who regularly represent clients in informal and formal outsourcing disputes and contract renegotiations.
Our dual practice advising customers as well as service providers is unique in the legal space, and gives us a distinct edge in representing our clients. The complex nature of outsourcing transactions demands a multidisciplinary approach, which is why we supplement outsourcing engagements with the support of other global cross-practice attorneys, as appropriate. Together, the practice is able to individually address each issue our clients face.
Related Capabilities
Business Process Outsourcing
In today’s competitive business environment, business process outsourcing arrangements have become a key tool in helping companies increase capabilities and cut costs. We help clients negotiate effective, enforceable agreements that comply with regulations, achieve tax and other financial objectives, deliver improved operational efficiencies, help ensure data protection and information privacy safeguards, and address a range of corporate compliance issues. We have negotiated agreements in a broad spectrum of business processes such as account management, accounting and finance, human resources services, insurance claims processing, investment company management and back-office operations, and procurement, among other areas.
Information Technology Outsourcing
Few businesses have the resources and infrastructure to take full advantage of emerging information technology on their own. However, no business can afford to be left behind the IT curve. We help companies enter into strategic outsourcing arrangements that allow them to take maximum advantage of the tools, applications and platforms available through third-party providers, while enabling them to focus on their core business operations and objectives. We have negotiated, closed and managed many types of outsourcing arrangements, including application development and maintenance, cloud solutions and web hosting, customer service and help desk operations, data center operations and services, data protection and security, managed print services and systems support, among other areas.
Telecommunications and Network Management
Telecommunications technology remains a leading driver of global economic growth, for companies in the telecom sector itself and for businesses that depend on reliable, strong communications and data networks in order to serve their own customers most effectively. Our lawyers have substantial experience helping clients identify key vendors and negotiate and document outsourcing contracts covering a range of related services, including network and infrastructure development, deployment and management, as well as network sharing and roaming, VoIP, website development and hosting, and other agreements.
Cloud
New technologies, emerging business models and an increasingly mobile workforce have made cloud computing the IT option of choice for many businesses and organizations. We have represented numerous providers, corporate customers and investors on all sides of technology transactions and agreements involving cloud computing, Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (Paas), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), hosted arrangements, web services and application outsourcing. We help domestic and multinational clients identify and address potential issues such as data security, protection and privacy, while determining the value of services in terms of increased revenues, reduced costs and more efficient operations. We regularly draw on our Firm’s experience in technology intellectual property, finance, corporate transactions, regulatory issues and compliance, and other key areas of law to negotiate transactions and develop enforceable terms of service, service level, subscription and other agreements.
