Technology projects carry legal consequences that extend well beyond the contract itself. IP ownership, liability allocation, service levels, data obligations, acceptance risk and regulatory compliance are determined at the point of contracting and remain fixed for the life of the arrangement.
We advise major corporations, government agencies, technology companies and investors on the full spectrum of technology legal work: enterprise procurement, cloud and platform contracting, AI deployment and governance, software commercialisation, IP strategy, and cross-border digital transactions. The work spans both transactional and regulatory dimensions: structuring arrangements that hold up under scrutiny, and advising on compliance obligations as the regulatory environment continues to develop.
Our clients operate systems that underpin critical industries, such as health, airports, logistics, public transportation, energy, national defence and other public infrastructure.
Areas of expertise
The legal questions raised by AI and emerging technology (liability for automated decisions, IP ownership, procurement risk, regulatory compliance and data use) are live assignments, not prospective ones. Regulatory frameworks in Australia and around the world are being written now. Compliance obligations are determined now.
We advise on AI deployment contracts, automated decision-making transparency and liability, AI governance frameworks and cross-jurisdictional regulatory compliance for AI products entering multiple markets. Our work covers the full range of AI and emerging technology contexts: healthcare diagnostics, surveillance and public safety systems, transport scheduling and route management, port and logistics automation, and defence-adjacent technology. Where the law is unsettled, we determine the most defensible position and proceed from it.
We advise the world’s leading companies on AI systems, blockchain, distributed ledger, quantum computing and advanced biometric systems. We build legal frameworks that address complex issues including licensing, liability allocation, product and token classification, cross-border regulatory compliance, export controls, IP structuring and operational resilience. Our team shapes regulation through Parliamentary evidence, policy consultation and university teaching, and we are recognised for pioneering work on tokenisation, and digital assets. We set clients up for compliant, scalable deployment in dynamic regulatory environments, drawing on critical thinking from precedent-setting mandates for global digital asset and technology innovators.
Platform and software transactions raise specific questions about IP ownership, liability for service failure, data portability, exit rights and regulatory compliance in deployment markets. Multi-jurisdiction deployment adds further complexity. The terms agreed at contract stage determine the risk position for the life of the arrangement.
We are deeply embedded in the software and SaaS industry, and understand what matters for suppliers, developers, and buyers.
For SaaS businesses, this means ensuring that agreements underpin critical business valuations such as annual recurring revenue or ARR. For developers, AI augmented development and open-source software are reshaping how software products are developed, implemented and scaled. For technology customers, we understand the critical risks that need to managed to ensure the success of digital transformation projects.
We understand how these emerging technologies are shaping the software ecosystem. We help our clients create software architectures that withstand scrutiny, and keep pace with changing technology.
We draft and negotiate software licensing, SaaS subscription frameworks, platform commercialisation arrangements, open source compliance systems, API terms, development agreements and cross-border software supply contracts. Service levels, liability regimes, data rights, acceptance criteria and termination provisions are structured to align with commercial objectives and operational resilience requirements.
We act for both international technology suppliers entering the Australian market (including in healthcare, defence and critical infrastructure sectors) and for large-scale enterprise and government buyers requiring precise, enforceable terms.
Cloud migration, platform deployment and digital infrastructure programs involve sustained legal risk across the full delivery lifecycle. Scope definition, data sovereignty, vendor lock-in, exit rights and security obligations are structural issues, not negotiation points to be resolved at implementation.
We advise on cloud services agreements, managed services arrangements, outsourcing contracts and the legal frameworks for digital infrastructure programs. Work covers both the strategic architecture of arrangements (including multi-vendor environments and hybrid cloud structures) and the operational detail required to manage performance, data handling and regulatory compliance throughout.
We also advise on telecommunications network deployment for large-scale property development and infrastructure projects, data centre development and sovereign technology infrastructure procurement where national security considerations apply.
Technology procurement is where legal risk is allocated and fixed. Delivery timelines, IP ownership, acceptance criteria, liability caps, exit rights and data handling obligations determine the commercial outcome for both parties.
We advise buyers and sellers on enterprise technology procurement strategy and contract frameworks, including agile and waterfall delivery models, milestone-based performance assurance and multi-vendor environments. We act on some of Australia's most significant government technology procurements, advising Commonwealth and state agencies on ICT contracting, software development, outsourcing, data protection and technology commercialisation. We act with equal depth for technology suppliers, domestic and international, entering the Australian market.
Technology assets require precise legal frameworks to capture, protect and realise their value. Ownership allocation, licensing structures, revenue-sharing arrangements and the protection of proprietary systems and data require decisions made early, at joint development stage, in procurement contracts and in commercialisation agreements, that are difficult to reverse.
We design IP frameworks for technology portfolios across the full development and commercialisation lifecycle: joint development arrangements, licensing models, research collaborations, technology transfer and cross-border commercialisation pathways. Work spans startup and scale-up environments, listed companies, joint ventures and in-house secondments supporting R&D functions.
We also advise on the IP dimensions of AI deployment (ownership of AI-generated outputs, training data rights and the contractual allocation of IP in automated decision-making systems) as well as the IP structuring required when Australian technology companies enter regulated international markets.
Our experience
Hyland Software – Medical imaging contracts, NSW Health and Queensland Health
Advised US-based Hyland Software on two major public health technology contracts in Australia. First, supply and implementation of a medical imaging system for the NSW Single Digital Patient Record program, a A$1 billion-plus, 10-year program serving 8 million residents across 220 public hospitals. Second, a contract with Metro North Health (Queensland) for a medical imaging system providing 18,000 users with real-time patient imaging access. Advised on GITC contract structure, conducted contract drafting and negotiated terms with both health authorities.
Artrya – AI diagnostic software, US market entry
Advised Australian AI-driven cardiovascular diagnostics company Artrya on its software services agreement and HIPAA/HITECH data security addendum with Tanner Medical Center (US). Advised on the intersection of Australian, US federal, Delaware and Georgia state law. Negotiated limitation of liability, indemnity, IP protection and data residency provisions. Bridged material differences in risk allocation between Australian and US legal frameworks.
Artrya – Cross-border EU medical dataset acquisition
Advised on the acquisition of EU medical datasets to underpin Artrya's AI research and development pipeline. The assignment required privacy compliance, cross-jurisdictional IP structuring, GDPR obligations and commercial negotiation for digital health data across Australian and European frameworks.
icetana – AI regulatory compliance across seven jurisdictions
Advised Australian AI surveillance and analytics company icetana on the legal and regulatory treatment of AI-based technologies across Australia, Asia-Pacific, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and selected Middle Eastern markets. Addressed data privacy, biometric technologies, automated decision-making and AI compliance obligations. Produced a multi-jurisdictional regulatory map and a standardised library of cybersecurity and privacy responses for use with channel partners and enterprise clients.
ASIC and Australian Taxation Office – Government technology procurement
Advised ASIC on the procurement of an evidence management and early case assessment platform. Separately advised the Australian Taxation Office on its next-generation contact centre procurement (A$560 million),a program supporting up to 20 million interactions annually.
Qube Holdings – First-of-its-kind port operations application
Advised Qube Holdings, Australia's largest logistics provider, on the development and commercialisation of a novel stevedoring application developed in partnership with Google. The assignment required advice on technology development terms, IP ownership, commercialisation structure and deployment arrangements for a first-of-its-kind digital logistics tool in the Australian ports sector.
City of Sydney – Outdoor advertising and street furniture contract
Advised the City of Sydney on Australia's largest outdoor advertising and street furniture contract. Originally drafted and negotiated the principal agreement, then provided ongoing advice on amendments, asset relocations and complex operational assignments during rollout across the Sydney CBD.
Stryker Australia – R&D, IP and cross-border data
Advised one of the world's leading medical technology companies on collaborative research arrangements, IP protection and commercialisation, and cross-border patient data privacy compliance across Australian and international frameworks.
Advised on a multi-phase privacy compliance and biometric technology program involving facial recognition technology and body-worn cameras across airport security operations. Addressed regulatory compliance, privacy obligations and contractual risk for novel surveillance systems deployed in critical infrastructure.