Outsourcing and Insourcing

We understand that you, whether in the public or private sector, need to deliver efficiencies and savings in order to preserve services or maintain margins. Outsourcing may often provide a solution.

Others of you, through insourcing, may wish to “bolt-on” new divisions so as to expand your offering or bring previously outsourced services back “in house”.

The depth of our service lines means we can help with both.

Our commercial lawyers take the lead on outsourcing arrangements. We will guide you (whether “employer” or “contractor”) through the outsourcing contract so as to manage your risk.

We advise on issues surrounding the quality of services, service levels and service credits, processes for improving or changing the services, pricing, liability issues, data protection matters, and arrangements as to what happens when the contract comes to an end.

When it comes to insourcing services, our commercial lawyers will often work with colleagues in the firm’s corporate, employment and, where appropriate, real estate teams. Much, of course, will depend on the nature of the insourcing deal.

If acquiring or disposing a business division, our commercial lawyers will be involved in diligence matters, consideration of the warranties, and integration issues – it is not uncommon in this type of a transaction for the acquiring party to require the disposing party to provide transitional services during the integration process. We will look to reduce your exposure to risk throughout the project.

Together with our Employment team we will, whatever the insourcing or outsourcing arrangement, strive to find pragmatic solutions to the employee transfer issues.