Outsourcing

Morrison & Foerster’s Global Sourcing Group delivers the full array of capabilities and attributes necessary to forge the successful and enduring sourcing relationships that our clients deserve. Our experience, skill, and knowledge of the outsourcing industry make Morrison & Foerster the perfect choice for businesses and organizations considering a sourcing transaction.

Collective Knowledge, Skill, and Experience
Morrison & Foerster’s outsourcing practice consistently appears at the top of industry rankings in its field, but our lawyers are not just top-flight legal minds. We bridge the gap between business and law with an acute sense of negotiation and corporate politics. Through our connections with key players in the sourcing community, including the top consultants and vendors, we lead our clients through the process of securing and maintaining successful outsourcing deals. As trusted business advisors, we forge creative solutions to tough problems.

Client-Focused Ethos
Outsourcing arrangements are often complex deals with many moving parts. A company must negotiate with vendors; in certain industries, satisfy local regulators; secure trustworthy business consultants; and manage its own internal stakeholders, who usually have very diverse goals and concerns. Clients come to us for outsourcing advice because we understand how their businesses operate, and how all the components of an outsourcing contract fit into their overall organization and business strategy. From the moment a client thinks, “Should we outsource?” to the end or renegotiation of a contract, we are working at the hub of the deal, often alongside in-house lawyers and project consultants, to put all the pieces together.

Full Range of Transactions, Industries
Through decades of experience, we have advised clients in virtually every sector, size, and transaction type—from financial services to pharmaceuticals and from ITO to all aspects of BPO. In addition to some of the largest corporations in the world, we represent smaller companies, entrepreneurs, and start-ups whose budgets are often more restricted. Regardless of the size of the transaction, we know that the complexity of the deal often isn’t that different, so we scale each transaction to be as efficient as possible, regardless of size.

Global Geographic Reach
Outsourcing is often a global endeavor, and clients come to Morrison & Foerster because we are a global law firm with experienced lawyers in key countries. With offices strategically placed around the world on three continents—North America, Europe, and Asia—we operate seamlessly as a team in key geographies, providing a physical presence for our clients that few firms can match. As a full-service international law firm, we are able to draw on deep resources to assist clients on some of the biggest and most important deals of the day.

Collaborative Style Creates Relationships
By taking the time to get to know our clients’ business, people and culture, and to understand the internal dynamics of clients’ projects, we are able to help manage every stage of the outsourcing relationship, assisting our clients to create and maintain the flexibility that they need to compete effectively and globally. We’re not only good lawyers, we’re also lawyers with whom clients like to spend time—an important attribute in these longer-duration transactions. Instead of looking to “beat” the vendor, we build trust-based, enduring customer/vendor relationships that add value to each outsourcing deal. We excel in guiding and documenting these transactions, using our experience to make life easier for our clients through project support and management, as well as drafting and negotiating all contracts, and providing advice on all commercial aspects of the transaction.

Creative and Cost-Effective
We create value for our clients by working efficiently, staffing appropriately, and pricing creatively. Outsourcing deals often include a mix of flat and hourly fees, as well as incentives for efficiency and risk-sharing. We know how to manage our costs in order to avoid unpleasant surprises, and we’re willing to be flexible if and when the circumstances of a deal change.

Full-Service Firm, Multidisciplinary Practice
Outsourcing contracts involve a mix of transactional, labor and employment, tax, privacy, and often regulatory and litigation matters. Our group works closely with lawyers from all of these areas, as well as others, drawing on the attorneys’ knowledge and ability to support outsourcing transactions and relationships in order to ensure that every aspect of a deal is covered. Our regulatory and practical expertise in fields such as financial services, healthcare and pharma, environmental, energy, clean technology and alternative energy, and the public sector also supports our ability to advise on outsourcing transactions in diverse industry sectors.