Digital Technology

As digitalisation advances in all areas, legal requirements for companies in the use of information technology are increasing. This particularly affects regulated sectors such as finance or operators of critical infrastructures. We have the experience to implement solutions in sector-specific regulatory environment and, if necessary, have the ability to bring in additional specialists at ASD – for example, from Banking, Finance – to form a multidisciplinary interface competence.

IT stands for innovative technologies. We are delighted to be part of new developments over and over again. We show solutions to operate information technology in the Cloud in future and to use Cloud Computing in a legally secure way. We guide complex IT projects as well as outsourcing ventures in accordance with regulatory requirements. We contribute a wide range of industry experience and a profound understanding of technology. We understand how software development according to the waterfall method behaves in contrast to agile development, or how the use of open source software (OSS) in comparison to proprietary software affects the legal design of contracts. We design contracts as practice-oriented and interest-driven manuals rather than legal obstacles that stand in the way of a successful project.

Digitisation has also entered the realm of public administration. We support this process and, amongst others, advise the business delegation of the IT industry association Bitkom in the negotiations of the terms and conditions of purchase for public sector IT purchasing (EVB-IT). We also regularly support IT service providers in their participation in public sector tenders in all phases of the project.

Even in the field of information technologies, conflicts arise every now and then. We therefore offer support in mediation and arbitration proceedings as well as in state court proceedings and in review procedures of public tenders. Our understanding of technology and our many years of litigation experience help us to make the complex problems of these disputes to be better accessible for the courts.

In this way, ever more and ever larger data streams and data volumes of increasing economic value are being created. Data analytics, in other words the comprehensive use of data to gain knowledge, is therefore becoming driving force and key to digitisation and information technology progress. As a result of the various uses of data in a digitalised world, ever larger and more complex volumes of data up to Big Data, and the expanding use of artificial intelligence, increasingly difficult legal questions arise concerning the handling of such data volumes.

We are intensively involved with the future topics of data sharing, open data and data economy. Data protection and data security are key issues of the future in the field of data. Our Digital Technology team provides solution-oriented support with a high level of practical understanding in the commercial use of data. We advise our clients on all concerns and questions regarding the permissibility of data collection and use, data transfer abroad or the requirements for contract data processing.

As a modern legal services provider, we feel particularly committed to the responsible and sustainable handling of data and therefore equally advise on all issues relating to Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) as a guideline for “digital ethics”. At the same time, DATA encompasses the new business areas of digital assets such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) of artworks, cryptocurrencies or security tokens. Here, we cooperate closely with the ASD specialists in IP, Banking and Finance.

Telecommunication infrastructure is the enabler of all digital services and network-based business models. It is foundation for a connectivity at any time and any place, creates attractive business and residential locations, and enhances the value of entire regions as well as access to a wide range of future technological developments.

The universal coverage of gigabit networks and the expansion of mobile networks to new transmission standards (5G) are among the largest infrastructure projects in Europe. Substantial state funds are used to promote this enhancement. As a consequence of its economic and social importance,, telecommunication infrastructure is also subject to a tight regulatory framework. Our Digital Technology team provides advice and support for all questions related to the expansion and use of the network infrastructure, whether this involves glass fibre networks, mobile networks or satellite communication.

We have the necessary knowledge of the industry and the experience which enables us to provide support in the implementation of business strategies in a diverse and specialised telecommunications market, and to develop legally secure solutions.