Shawn C. Helms

Shawn C. Helms is co-head of the Firm’s Technology Transactions & Outsourcing Practice. Shawn has broad experience in the areas of information technology, digital health, AI, telecommunications and outsourcing. He focuses his practice on complex transactions involving technology and intellectual property, including business process outsourcing (BPO) and information technology outsourcing (ITO), licensing, cloud computing arrangements (infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (SaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS)), technology maintenance and services, technology development/customization (including iPhone, Android and other mobile device applications and systems), wireless infrastructure, social media issues, strategic alliances, e-commerce, distribution, confidentiality, strategic sourcing and data security/privacy. He also advise clients on transition services and technology and intellectual property matters relating to the acquisition or divestiture of businesses. Shawn has a special focus on artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation (RPA) and big data applications. Shawn also has significant experience in advising clients through software audits and related negotiations and settlements, open source software issues and software escrow matters. Shawn regularly advices clients on generative AI issues (e.g., ChatGPT).

Shawn has written widely on the topics of technology and outsourcing. Shawn is the co-author of a legal treatise on outsourcing law, Outsourcing Law and Business published by Law Journal Press (the treatise publishing arm of American Lawyer Media). It is the only comprehensive treatise on outsourcing law. This treatise gives detailed treatment to all material legal and business issues associated with outsourcing transactions. The treatise also covers changes in the outsourcing industry (e.g., RPA, cloud computing and smaller transactions) and suggests new tools and a modern approach for dealing with these changes. Learn more atwww.outsourcingtreatise.com. Shawn is also the co-author of a Bloomberg BNA portfolio titled “Technology and Outsourcing”.

Previously, Shawn was a partner at an international law firm, in-house counsel at T-Mobile / Sprint and the CIO of Williams & Connolly. Shawn earned bachelor’s degrees in computer systems, business administration and economics. Shawn worked as part of a team to create free, downloadable form Master Outsourcing Service Agreements (MOSA) for United States and German law. This form MOSA is available at www.outsourcingmsa.com.