New trends and opportunities in the global market evolve quickly in the digital world and the era of disruptive technology in which we now live and work. Our global Digital Technology, Media, Telecommunications and Sourcing team are at the forefront of market developments.
The ecosystem is becoming increasingly complex and competitive, with digital innovation as a result of ubiquitous broadband, mobility and new platforms, content, services, and applications. Customers expect always-on service everywhere. Technologies and platforms are increasingly modular, open and flexible. Companies are adapting their strategies, capabilities, and operating models to improve innovation and efficiency, and to embrace new approaches to content development, distribution, operations, technology and monetisation.
Data has also evolved to become the lifeblood of global trade. In particular, in the digital economy, the commercial value attached to data has increased dramatically as businesses try to use data to predict and respond to their customers in ways that were not previously possible, whilst at the same time navigating the ever increasing web of worldwide data regulation.
In this fast-moving environment, our clients require commercial, innovative and cutting-edge legal advice that successfully supports and transforms their businesses and guides them through challenging operational and strategic issues.
We focus on creating value for our clients through a deep understanding of relevant market dynamics, advising on areas such as:
- how digitisation is transforming the technology ecosystem, with suppliers, sales channels, platforms, partners, customers and internal operations
- bringing products and services to market quickly and improving the product portfolio, within the context of increasingly global partnerships, investments, joint ventures and M&A activity
- strategies for developing the products and services that will serve digitised industries, including how to monetise and exploit the exponential growth of data
- the impact of regulation on use and exploitation of new technologies (such as blockchain technology, artificial intelligence and virtual and augmented reality), delivery solutions and digitisation of assets
- content production, acquisition and distribution, managing contributor networks, technology, centralisation, outsourcing and portfolio rationalisation
- digital, database, event and relationship advertising and marketing, place-based and custom media, loyalty programs and sponsorships
- growth, including partnerships and acquisitions and operating in emerging markets where the landscape is developing rapidly
- network infrastructure and services and monetising assets by opening up infrastructure and extending business strategies
- applications, content and user experience and expanding businesses into multiple segments and markets
Our experience and advice spans the full spectrum of TMT, outsourcing and data protection and privacy, including applications, hardware, software, use of the cloud and shared platform solutions, blockchain, artificial intelligence, automation, smart legal contracts, digital, data, robotics, TV, film, radio, print media, social media, music, sports, gaming, advertising and marketing, information and data services, betting, entertainment venues, fixed, wireless, cable, broadband/internet, ICT, satellite, network equipment, devices and components, mobile towers, data centres and cyber security.
The Digital TMT and Sourcing team in London has also recently launched a Disruptive Technology Initiative which examines the interaction and impact of technology on eight key sectors (Energy, Banks, Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare, Real estate, Mining, Financial buyers, Consumer and Infrastructure and Transport) as well as focusing on cyber security, alternative legal services and innovation. This initiative reflects our commitment to innovation and adoption of disruptive technology and aims to equip the team with knowledge on how technology affects each of these sectors. This, in turn, allows us to provide clients with clear and specialised advice on the impact technology is having on their sector. With the rapidly increasing threat of technological disruption, clients are looking for lawyers who understand the issues that they are facing. More importantly, we are able to help clients with transforming those issues into opportunities that technology can offer.