Attorneys for Software and Technology Contract Procurement

No matter your industry, doing business today involves procuring software and technology-related services. From your customer management system to your point of sale credit card processing tool, every business purchase seems to have associated licensing agreements and terms of service. As a business owner, manager or IT Director, you know it is crucial to understand the agreements you sign, but these contracts can be confusing, and the sheer volume of terms and conditions that you need to review for business purchases can be overwhelming. You need an experienced, tech-savvy attorney for software and technology related procurement on your company's side.

Software and Technology Services Contract Negotiation for Buyers

Your business relies on technology, software purchases, and software as a service (SaaS) to function every day. Everything you use, from your internal sales monitoring system to your customized point of sale software, comes with terms and conditions that can carry real risk for your business. Understanding the terms of service for your technology is important now more than ever. Every piece of software brings with it certain risks and vulnerabilities. Depending on the terms of use, many of those liabilities could fall on you, the buyer. To limit your company's exposure while still quickly purchasing the necessary tools, you need someone with strong contract negotiation skills, and a clear understanding of your business needs, the acceptable allocation of risk, applicable law, and the technology itself.

Experienced Technology Attorneys for SaaS Procurement

At Outsource Counsel, we know what that mix looks like, and how to work it to our clients' advantage. We understand that, as a business owner, you need to know the risks before you commit. You want to be able to compare different products' terms with an informed eye and know what you are getting into, and what is industry standard for these types of purchases.

We can help. Our founder, attorney Jennifer Hastings has nearly 20 years' experience in business litigation and technology consulting. She has drafted and negotiated software sales and SaaS contracts as in-house counsel for software companies, and as a contract attorney for businesses looking to buy technology and software. Using that expertise, we can help you assess your options and understand the risks associated with the terms of your software licensing and purchases. We can also negotiate the terms of software contracts to make sure you aren't assuming more liability than you should be.

Providing Specialized Expertise to In-House Counsel

Many larger businesses have talented in-house counsel to function as generalists and deal with whatever legal needs arise. But in-house attorneys need to be jacks-of-all-trades. They handle everything that comes your way, from staffing issues to purchase order complaints to personal injury litigation, and are generally so busy putting out fires that it's hard for them to also handle the day-to-day aspects of software and technology procurement. Even if they do have the time, they likely do not have the specialized expertise to quickly evaluate and address the often highly technical issues that arise within a software contract negotiation.

We focus our work on technology-related contracts. We can take the burden off of your in-house counsel, providing specialized expertise when it comes time to bring purchase a new piece of software, take on a new SaaS vendor, or review new terms and conditions supplied by an existing vendor. For in-house counsel, we will keep you in the loop as much as you want to be, without forcing you to weigh in on every small decision related to the contract negotiations. We can work directly with your business team or go through in-house counsel, whichever works best for the particular purchase at hand.

Because we represent both sides of these contracts, we can quickly parse out the pressing issues, and we know what is industry standard for the various terms and conditions common to these deals. We also know where many vendors may be willing to be flexible when it comes time to make the sale. We can review pending technology and software licensing and sales agreements, identify the risks, and negotiate terms that protect you from worst-case scenarios. Most importantly, we can do this all quickly, keeping your business team moving forward with the technology that they want to purchase, and keeping your legal budget in check.

Putting Business Priorities First

When you hire a large law firm to help you with contract negotiations, you know what you are going to get. Your first draft agreement will come back with a lot of red ink -- changes that the big firm recommends to insulate you from any risk. But negotiating every paragraph of a SaaS contract could cost you more than it's worth. At Outsource Counsel, we know that all technology contacts involve some allocation of risk. We put your business priorities first, valuing your time over minor editorial changes. Instead, we help you see where the big risks are, so you know where to focus your attention when it's time to negotiate.

If you are a director or executive of a business hoping to take control of the risks inherent in your technology and software contracts, or in-house counsel looking for assistance from an experienced industry attorney with your technology procurement, we're here for you. Contact Outsource Counsel today to get a skilled technology and software procurement attorney on your side.