Mark Neale

Mark leads Freeths’ growing technology team – people who, like Mark, have a real interest in technology and like to get under the skin of the products and services they are advising on and therefore understand the true issues worth negotiating on.

Mark is a highly experienced solicitor, specialising in IT contract drafting and negotiating, as well as supporting litigators with respect of the IT aspects of claims brought in the IT field.

Both technology and the law are awash with jargon. Mark is well versed in both and is very experienced in acting for IT providers and customer recipients alike. He is very much “solution driven” and works with clients to ensure legal documentation this is limited to what is actually necessary and relevant in the circumstances. He has developed unique solutions to cover off new and emerging risks, such as multi-tenancy SaaS provider insolvency and use of generative AI.

He has supported many clients across their entire digital engagement, including:

- core systems implementations (ERP, HR, CRM etc)

- digital platforms (website implementations, multi-vendor arrangements, re-platforming)

- software/solution developments

- engagement with generative AI

- IT outsourcing and managed IT services

Mark began his legal career getting a training contract at Dibb Lupton Alsop and was part of its growth from a £170m turnover business into the world’s largest law firm at the time he left 10 years later.

He qualified into the commercial team, but his love of technology meant he very quickly became highly specialised and very knowledgeable in technology contracts.

Mark became a partner at Freeths in 2015, where he now heads up both:

- the Birmingham commercial team; and

- the national technology team

In-house secondments in the early part of his legal career include over 12 months spent across:

- Barclays Bank

- HSBC Bank

- Sodexo

Mark is a member of:

- the Society for Computers and Law (SCL)

- the Global Sourcing Association (GSA)