The digital world is constantly evolving, and keeping pace with the complexities of technology law can feel overwhelming. You might be a public sector agency procuring a mission-critical technology solution or getting to grips with artificial intelligence. You might be an established business facing new legal risks or challenges. Or you might be a startup brimming with ideas but unsure of how the law impacts them. In each case, having an experienced and business-focused technology lawyer at your side calms nerves, helps you understand the terrain, and facilitates achievement of your goals with appropriate risk mitigation in place.
How I can help
Outcome-oriented: My goal is to help clients get things done in a way that's both legally compliant and business-focused. I offer a solid understanding of applicable law and technology, an inquiring and 'can do' attitude, and a practical approach. My experience includes cloud computing, software development and licensing, outsourced and managed services, cross-government ICT purchasing, web development, online marketplaces, geospatial services, social media, authentication and identity verification, and generative AI.
Legal expertise: Your project may involve the need for:
- procurement or probity advice
- contract drafting and negotiation
- privacy and security advice, assessment, or drafting
- assistance with intellectual property, such as ownership and licensing of new IP, or open data or open source software licensing, or
- advice on generative AI.
I am experienced in all such matters.
Technical and contextual knowledge: I believe firmly that optimal advice in these areas requires a solid understanding not only of the law but also of the relevant technologies, development processes, risks and risk tolerance, and (often) governmental context. I have that understanding.
Experience
I've been practising law since 1996 and working in these areas almost exclusively since the end of 2006, in a mix of in-house and external legal roles. During this time I've been deeply involved in a wide range of technology projects and across a wide range of issues, including:
- cross-government procurement of telecommunications services
- cross-government authentication and identity verification services
- web professional services
- collaborative workspaces
- website building platforms
- secure email
- open source software licensing
- infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and software as a service
- software development
- social media and the law
- open source software licensing
- data access platforms
- geospatial data platforms
- a forward works planning platform
- a department's wide-ranging migration of its websites
- onshore and offshore cloud services
- a Crown entity's implementation of a cloud-based human resources information system
- security and related services
- development of NZGOAL and co-development of the NZGOAL Software Extension
- online legal guidance tools
- a cross-government online marketplace
- an online data exchange
- replacement of a nationwide regulatory platform
- a data analytics platform
- an online indexation tool for environmental purposes
- digital job fairs
- a cloud-based correspondence generation platform
- technology-related IP transfers
- migration of a mission-critical on-premise solution to an offshore cloud solution
- artificial intelligence guidelines
- implementation and ongoing support of a cloud-based training solution.
As a sole practitioner, for many of these projects I have provided all legal inputs. At the same time, as a member of the Interwoven Law alliance, I can tap into colleagues' complimentary expertise when needed and form teams with them for projects requiring more lawyers on deck.
Get in touch
If you'd like to get in touch to ask a quick question or talk through a potential project, then please do. I'd be happy to help and we can jump on Zoom or Teams if that makes things easier.