Nick co-heads our global Technology, Digital & Sourcing practice, based in our London office.
Nick has spent over 26 years advising clients on their most complex business & digital transformation projects.
He advises clients across all sectors and markets on UK and multi-jurisdictional technology procurement, outsourcing, major systems implementation, digital infrastructure, data centres, cloud & SaaS, e-commerce, software development and licensing, emerging tech, data commercialisation and complex commercial projects. He is a founding partner of HSF's Emerging Technology Group helping clients navigate the legal and regulatory challenges developing, using and investing in advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, the metaverse, blockchain and digital assets, including crypto and NFTs.
Accolades
Nick is ranked in Band 1 of the Chambers legal directory for Outsourcing & IT and as a Key Individual for IT and complex commercial projects work in Legal 500. He is also ranked in Chambers for his expertise in both (i) Fintech and (ii) Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies. Nick's team has been recognised as a Top Performer in Strategic Sourcing by the Global Sourcing Association and Standout category for "Innovation in strategic collaborations for clients" by the FT Innovative Lawyers. Nick is a member of the Professional Board for the Computer Law and Security Review.
Background
Nick is a regular speaker at conferences on new technology, sourcing, digital transformation and TMT issues in the digital age and is often cited in the legal and national press on the latest trends and issues facing the sector. Drawing on his 26 years extensive experience advising across multiple industry sectors and having spent time in-house on secondment at Accenture and Xchanging, Nick is passionate about the intersection between law and technology and helping to shape the future of Digital Law. Described by clients as "tremendously talented" and "[having] excellent technical ability" and "a telepathic knowledge of what was needed and what our business was all about."
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- Ministry of Defence ("MOD") in relation to a multi-billion pound transformation of MOD's current IT systems and supplier ecosystem across the armed forces, including advising on strategy and re-procurement of all existing IT services, redesigning and restructuring its IT sourcing arrangements and ensuring that MOD is able to benefit from advances in technology. Described as one of biggest IT projects in the world
- a major UK retail bank on its arrangements with a fintech for the development of a cloud based core-banking platform based on blockchain technology to transform its retail and business banking platform
- Google on its technical infrastructure arrangements including network acquisition, capacity and data centres as well as product launches, to support its growth and expansion across EMEA
- a sovereign wealth fund backed development company of a smart city project on a number of complex platform, system and infrastructure development, integration and services agreements, including the deployment of AI solutions across different sectors in the urban planning and development phases, including technology & digital, energy, transport & mobility, food, manufacturing, tourism, design & construction, health, wellbeing, biotech and education
- Transport for London on its £660 million procurement and outsourcing of the operation of its ticketing and revenue collection systems and services across TfL's travel network, including the next generation of technology for contactless payment systems for the 9 million journeys made on London's transport network each day
- Banco Sabadell and TSB on TSB's exit from £2 billion long term outsourcing contract with Lloyds' and on the subsequent £450 million deal to design and build and migrate TSB to a new digital IT platform to enable TSB to operate as a digitally enabled challenger bank in the UK market (one of the largest and most complex IT projects in Europe)
- ClearBank on its establishment as the UK's fifth clearing bank and the first new clearing bank in over 250 years, transforming the digital clearing bank market with a modern, purpose built and cloud-based digital banking platform. It is the only known bank to design and build its entire digital banking platform from scratch
Sectors
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