MARK KAUFMANN’s clients turn to him for their most complex technology transactions encompassing outsourcing deals and sophisticated services, knowing he is dedicated to understanding their business challenges and to closing negotiations with innovative solutions. Mark focuses his practice on domestic and global matters encompassing the acquisition, development and licensing of software, databases, and cloud and web-based products and services, as well as on outsourcing, data center, facilities management, data processing, consultancy, systems integration, and services transactions. Mark also focuses on intellectual property and technology issues that occur in the M&A context, including those involving acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, alliances, joint ventures, and bankruptcies.
Recent representative matters include advising:
- A Japanese financial holding company and certain of its subsidiaries in connection with certain SaaS offerings provided by Oracle.
- A Middle East-based client regarding: all aspects of supply chain contracting for development of a greenfield hyperscale data center, including sourcing semiconductor, networking, optic, PSU, busbar, and similar equipment, and negotiation of cooling technology development and licensing arrangements.
- A confidential client in: procuring a data center facility in Houston, including its build out and operational elements.
- A data center services provider regarding: arrangements with several of its hyperscaler customers and expansion of its business to new markets.
- A bank and wealth management company on: the licensing of software that will drive its wire transfers business; outsourcing its deposit, loan and books and records systems platform to a third-party provider and outsourcing its online banking platform to a third-party provider.
- A confidential client regarding: revising and negotiating the master data center and professional services agreements between the client and Equinix for the provision of data center, cloud consulting, and similar professional services.
- A leading global financial services firm on: outsourcing the storage of its global electronic communications archive; outsourcing segments of its cash management and treasury operations with respect to its merchant banking funds and real estate funds; restructuring the outsourcing of its middle office record-keeping and transaction processing services and outsourcing its carried interest plan administration to a third party.
- A regional carrier that owns and operates one of the largest wireless telecommunications networks in the United States on the outsourcing of its consumer-facing website and associated e-commerce systems to Accenture.
- A financial services holding company that has a 20+ year relationship with the firm on its acquisition and use of certain technology and services from third-party providers, including the outsourcing of its payroll-related processes and certain of its telecommunications operations.
Strong leadership on behalf of clients has earned Mark acknowledgement from numerous industry publications. He has been recognized by Chambers USA in its Illinois Technology and IT Outsourcing section (2008–2024). In its 2024 edition, a source told Chambers USA, “Mark is extremely knowledgeable and practical and very good to work with.”
Mark has been selected as a “recommended lawyer” by PLC Which Lawyer: Outsourcing Handbook consistently since 2010. He has also been similarly recognized by Legal 500 in the areas of Technology: Outsourcing.
Mark’s practice has been featured in articles in The American Lawyer, ABA Journal, AmLawDaily, BigLaw, and Corporate Counsel.