Strategic contracting uncovered: Real-world perspectives from legal, business and technology leaders
1 July 2026
When technology deals unravel, issues often arise when the contract does not fully reflect how the deal, the product or the service will be delivered in practice.
As part of The Society of Computers & Law: “What Every In-House Lawyer Should Know” series, Clifford Chance hosted an in-person event with panellists from legal, advisory, and business backgrounds to explore the practical challenges that in‑house lawyers face when contracting for complex technology, including in relation to data migration, transitional services, use of AI, and regulatory change.
Clifford Chance's Zayed Al Jamil, Partner and Head of UK Complex Contracting and Technology Outsourcing, Tech Digital, moderated a panel consisting of Nicholas Levey, a Partner within the M&A Integrations and Separations team at Deloitte LLP and previously a business consulting leader at HSBC; Midori Takenaka, a Senior Associate within the Tech Digital team at Clifford Chance; and Jasmin Thielen, a Senior Legal Advisor, at Fujitsu UK.
Key takeaways
- Strategic contracting is a cross functional discipline. Early stakeholder alignment is critical and must reflect delivery realities and cultural dynamics, not just legal risk. Lawyers are most effective when they understand how the business operates and engage the right stakeholders at the right time.
- Post completion risk is where contracts are most often tested. Clauses that require action post completion tend to mask complex operational work and must clearly answer what needs to be done, by whom and under what constraints, with TSAs negotiated alongside (not after) the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA).
- Contracts must be designed to survive strain, not steady state. Governance, escalation and remediation mechanisms matter more in practice than theoretical termination rights.
