TECHNOLOGY, DATA & AI
Technology and Software Law
Technology contracts fail when product assumptions, ownership and operational dependencies are left for lawyers to guess. The legal work should reflect how the system is built, delivered and supported.
THE WORK BEHIND THE DOCUMENT
Start with the decision and the facts.
I advise software providers, buyers and digital businesses on agreements that sit between legal language and technical delivery. The first task is often translation: turning architecture, features, deployment, access and service commitments into obligations the commercial team can manage and evidence.
I look for failure points that generic templates miss: unclear product descriptions, conflicting order forms, acceptance that never ends, data export at termination, dependency on third-party platforms, security commitments the team cannot meet, and ownership language that accidentally transfers reusable tools. Technical, privacy and AI questions are escalated into the same review instead of being left in separate policies.
TYPICAL MATTERS
- 01 SaaS subscriptions, software licences and enterprise terms
- 02 Custom-development and application-development agreements
- 03 Statements of work, milestones, acceptance and change control
- 04 Service levels, support, maintenance and business-continuity commitments
- 05 Cloud, hosting, reseller, marketplace and technology-procurement arrangements
- 06 Source code, open-source, background IP and ownership of deliverables
DELIVERABLES
Work product designed to be used.
Depending on the engagement, you may receive a contract suite, redline, risk and fallback table, product or data schedule, SLA, DPA coordination points, negotiation support and an implementation checklist for the operating team.
SCOPE & BOUNDARIES
A defined role is part of good advice.
The engagement records the client, jurisdictional scope, deliverables, assumptions, timing and fee basis. Government and judicial fees, VAT, registrations, court representation, foreign-law opinions and third-party specialist work are excluded unless expressly included in writing.
Where another adviser is needed, I identify the question and coordinate the hand-off. General information on this page is not legal advice on a specific matter.
SERVICE FAQ
Questions specific to this work.
Do you need to understand the technology?
Yes, to the level needed to allocate legal and delivery risk. Product and technical stakeholders are often part of the fact-finding process.
Can you review open-source risk?
I can address contractual and governance issues. A detailed code or licence audit may require technical tooling or specialist input.
Who should own custom code?
There is no universal answer. The solution depends on background tools, reuse, price, business model, dependencies and the customer’s genuine need.
NEXT STEP
Describe the decision, the parties and the real deadline.
I will review fit, conflicts and the information needed before proposing a scope. Do not send sensitive documents until an engagement and exchange method are confirmed.