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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, who joined the firm in 1989 and is a member of its Technology & IP Transactions team, 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 distribution, facilities management, data processing, consultancy, system integration and services transactions.

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 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 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 U.S. 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.

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.

Strong leadership on behalf of clients has earned Mark acknowledgement from numerous industry publications. This includes being named a “leading lawyer” every year since 2008 by Chambers USA in its Technology and IT Outsourcing section. In its most recent edition, one “impressed” market source describes Mark Kaufmann as a “player who knows his stuff” in the information technology legal market. In its 2014 edition, the publication described Mark in its Illinois—Technology & Outsourcing section as “a transactional technology expert with substantive knowledge of the ins and outs of advising on outsourcing agreement negotiations.” Sources told Chambers, “he is really good at keeping his finger on the pulse in negotiations. He reads the situation, noticing if it shifts significantly.” A year earlier, sources described Mark as “an exceptional lawyer who stays on top of the developments in his specialty.” The publication added, “He is noted for his expertise on acquisitions, outsourcing, licensing and infrastructure transactions.”

Mark has been selected as a “recommended lawyer” by PLC Which Lawyer: Outsourcing Handbook consistently since 2010. He has also been similarly recognized by The Legal 500 in the areas of Technology: outsourcing. In its 2014 edition, The Legal 500 said, “Mark Kaufmann in Chicago is singled out for his ‘utmost professionalism and ability to work through tough confrontational issues.’”

Mark’s practice has been featured in articles in The American Lawyer, ABA Journal, AmLawDaily, BigLaw and Corporate Counsel.