Mark Crichard
Partner
Mark is an expert in commercial technology contracts covering areas such as cloud services, system development & integration, telecoms, and data centre services. His work often focuses on matters involving technological outsourcing relating to finance & accounting, HR & payroll, call centre services, and wider business processes. He acts for a wide range of clients on both the customer and supplier side operating in sectors including insurance, finance services, technology, travel, and retail.
“At its core, it’s about making every client feel like they’re your most important client.”
“Many of the deals I advise on have an international element. Typically, that involves at least one party not being in the UK, and often involves some or all of the technology or services being provided from offshore.
Clients like the fact I “know my stuff”. I have a deep understanding of the relevant technologies, many years of experience, a deep knowledge of current market trends and best practices, and a genuinely commercial approach to getting deals done efficiently and pragmatically.
I’m very focused on delivering high quality service. At its core, it’s about making every client feel like they are your most important client - being responsive when they ask for support, proactively alerting them to trends, setting and meeting realistic timescales, and dealing promptly and efficiently with details like billing.”
Mark’s recent work highlights:
Advising King's College Hospital and Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital on the outsourcing of their pathology services and an associated joint venture.
Advising an airline on the implementation and long-term contracting for the delivery of a cloud based, mission-critical operational system.
Advising a major outsource service provider on the negotiation of a contract with a global insurer for the development and implementation of a new IT system and the associated outsourcing of claims handling services.
Directory quotes
Leading Individual - The Legal 500 UK 2025
"Mark brings a degree of pragmatism alongside his vast experience." - Chambers UK 2025
"He offers succinct and clear advice. He worked hard on a short timetable to achieve a clear and impressive outcome, and built a strong rapport with the client and with the other side." - Chambers UK 2024
"As an experienced adviser and a calm and measured person, he provided pragmatic advice and had a balanced and reasonable approach to drafting that saw a difficult project through to a prompt and effective outcome." - Chambers UK 2023
Ranked – Chambers UK 2022
Mark Crichard assists both customers and suppliers on large-scale IT outsourcings. - Chambers UK 2022
"Mark is very experienced in IT contract law, he thinks and drafts quickly and cleverly, he explains complex legal points well to non-legal team members and he negotiates well in difficult circumstances." - Chambers UK 2022
"He's very technically expert, very mindful of what clients seek to protect and very responsive." - Chambers UK 2022
Recommended - The Legal 500 UK 2022
Leading Individual - The Legal 500 UK 2022
Mark Crichard assists both customers and suppliers on large-scale IT outsourcings. - Chambers UK 2021
"He is pragmatic, constructive and a good operator." - Chambers UK 2021
Leading individual - The Legal 500 UK 2021
Recommended - The Legal 500 UK 2021
"Charles Buckworth, Mark Crichard and Jonathan Greenway are professional, knowledgeable, skilled in the art of negotiation and work tirelessly to meet what are often unrealistic and stretching time pressures." - The Legal 500 UK 2021
"Great all-round commercial lawyer." - The Legal 500 UK 2020
Leading Individual - The Legal 500 UK 2020
Mark Crichard acts for both suppliers and customers on a range of matters, including HR and payroll outsourcing, as well as BPO and IT outsourcing. Clients say "he is absolutely fantastic. He has great experience in the industry and extremely sound technical knowledge." - Chambers UK 2019
Mark is a "particularly excellent negotiator" with a "calm, measured approach." - Chambers UK 2018
Has "a calm demeanour" - The Legal 500 UK 2017
Mark Crichard has extensive experience in an array of strategically significant outsourcing projects, such as ITOs, BPOs and specialised scientific services. Clients appreciate his "really commercial approach to negotiations." - Chambers UK 2017
Recommended - The Legal 500 UK 2016
"Mark Crichard is described by one client as "measured, calm, considered and realistic." He has a wealth of experience in the area, covering a broad range of large and complex outsourcing deals." - Chambers UK 2016
Recommended - The Legal 500 UK 2015
Recommended in Commercial Contracts and IT & Telecoms - The Legal 500 UK 2014
Relevant work
Major Insurer- advised on the procurement of a major new IT platform and associated outsourced application support and maintenance services
International Airline - advised on the retendering of the outsourced provision of its customer contact centre services
FTSE 100 Financial Institution- advised on the "Build/Operate/Transfer" outsourcing of an IT offshore data centre in Central/Eastern Europe
UK Broadcaster - advised on the procurement of a new digital asset management platform and related support and hosting services
International Corporate - Advised on the procurement of global data centre and network services
Get in touch
Expertise sectors
Insurance & Reinsurance, Retail & Consumer, Technology, Media & Telecoms, Consumer Brands, Food & Beverage, Manufacturers, Retailers, Big Tech & Platforms, Fintech, Technology Suppliers, Telecoms
Expertise services
Commercial, Business Advisory, Commercial Contracts, Intellectual Property, Outsourcing, Technology Transactions, Data Advisory
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