Mark L. Kaufmann

MARK KAUFMANN’s clients turn to him for their most complex technology transactions encompassing outsourcing deals and sophisticated services, knowing he is dedicated to understanding their business challenges and to closing negotiations with innovative solutions. Mark focuses his practice on domestic and global matters encompassing the acquisition, development and licensing of software, databases, and cloud and web-based products and services, as well as on outsourcing, data center, facilities management, data processing, consultancy, systems integration, and services transactions. Mark also focuses on intellectual property and technology issues that occur in the M&A context, including those involving acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, alliances, joint ventures, and bankruptcies.

Recent representative matters include advising:

• A Japanese financial holding company and certain of its subsidiaries in connection with certain SaaS offerings provided by Oracle.
• A Middle East-based client regarding: all aspects of supply chain contracting for development of a greenfield hyperscale data center, including sourcing semiconductor, networking, optic, PSU, busbar, and similar equipment, and negotiation of cooling technology development and licensing arrangements.
• A confidential client in: procuring a data center facility in Houston, including its build out and operational elements.
• A data center services provider regarding: arrangements with several of its hyperscaler customers and expansion of its business to new markets.
• A bank and wealth management company on: the licensing of software that will drive its wire transfers business; outsourcing its deposit, loan and books and records systems platform to a third-party provider and outsourcing its online banking platform to a third-party provider.
• A confidential client regarding: revising and negotiating the master data center and professional services agreements between the client and Equinix for the provision of data center, cloud consulting, and similar professional services.
• A leading global financial services firm on: outsourcing the storage of its global electronic communications archive; outsourcing segments of its cash management and treasury operations with respect to its merchant banking funds and real estate funds; restructuring the outsourcing of its middle office record-keeping and transaction processing services and outsourcing its carried interest plan administration to a third party.
• A regional carrier that owns and operates one of the largest wireless telecommunications networks in the United States on the outsourcing of its consumer-facing website and associated e-commerce systems to Accenture.
• A financial services holding company that has a 20+ year relationship with the firm on its acquisition and use of certain technology and services from third-party providers, including the outsourcing of its payroll-related processes and certain of its telecommunications operations.

Strong leadership on behalf of clients has earned Mark acknowledgement from numerous industry publications. In 2025, he earned a Band 1 ranking in Illinois for Technology and Outsourcing from Chambers USA, which has recognized him in this category consistently from 2008 through 2025.

“Mark always delivers strong advice attuned to the legal and business needs of his client.”
Chambers USA 2025

“Mark’s deep knowledge of technology issues guides clients through complex and intricate negotiations.”
Chambers USA 2025

Mark has been selected as a “recommended lawyer” by PLC Which Lawyer: Outsourcing Handbook consistently since 2010. Managing IP named Mark an Illinois “Transactions Star” in its 2025 edition of IP Stars. He has also been similarly recognized by Legal 500 in the areas of Technology: Outsourcing.

Mark’s practice has been featured in articles in The American Lawyer, ABA Journal, AmLawDaily, BigLaw, and Corporate Counsel.

Mark has handled the following select matters:

• Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS) in the US$4.4 billion sale of United States Cellular Corporation’s (NYSE: USM) wireless operations and select spectrum assets to T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS), including a combination of cash and up to approximately US$2 billion of assumed debt.
• A global courier delivery services company in connection with the modification of its relationships with several of its offshore application development and maintenance vendors.
• A market leader and global supplier of advanced micro-acoustic solutions and specialty components in connection with its acquisition and use of certain technology and services from third-party providers as well as its relationships with significant customers.
• One of the largest professional services companies in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, in connection with the licensing of several third-party tools and software to be used in connection with various solutions to be developed and then offered by the company to its clients.
• A mutual insurance holding company in connection with the renegotiation of an existing information technology services relationship with its third-party provider.
• A national retailer in connection with the procurement of financial, accounting and information technology hardware, software and services from global third-party providers.
• A privately owned hedge fund sponsor in connection with its acquisition and use of certain technology and services from third-party providers.
• OneAmerica Financial Partners with the long-term outsourcing of its IT infrastructure and operations areas to a third-party service provider. The outsourcing included data center services, mainframe, servers, Wintel services, open systems, data and voice networks, desktop, platform and software services.
• A leading Wall Street bank and its affiliates in outsourcing the storage and retention of all of its electronic communications worldwide so that it could comply with regulatory requirements.
• Aon Corporation with all intellectual property and transition services aspects of its sale of Combined Insurance Companies of America to the Ace Group of Companies.
• Bill Me Later, Inc. in all intellectual property aspects of its sale to eBay Inc.
• eBay Inc. in all intellectual property aspects of its sale of Skype.
• Served as lead commercial IT counsel on nearly 100 transactions for the captive processing and administrative entity of a leading insurance company in its acquisition and use of software and services from third-party technology service providers.
• Currently assisting a publicly traded company in negotiating an agreement with a third-party to relaunch through the use of a new platform, host and continue to develop, maintain and support its commercial website.

Mark has assisted a wide variety of clients with respect to outsourcing- and data center-related matters, including: Blackrock, BNP Paribas, Conseco, Dover Corporation, First Data Corporation, First Republic Bank, Morgan Stanley, OneAmerica, The Options Clearing Corporation, Securian Financial, WebBank and Western Union. He has assisted the following clients with intellectual property and technology issues in the M&A, PE and venture contexts: Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., Aon Corporation, Bill Me Later, Inc., eBay, First Data Corporation, Formica Corporation, General Electric Company, KPMG, Tribune Company, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, Sara Lee, SXC Health Solutions, Inc., Synchrony Financial, Tellabs, Tyson Foods, Inc., Walgreen Co., and West Corporation.

Mark is a member of the American, Illinois and Chicago Bar Associations. He has also served since 2007 as a board member of Lumity, a Chicago-based non-profit that helps inner city teens and young adults prepare for lifelong STEM careers.