Christian F. McDermott

christian.mcdermott@lw.com

+44.20.7710.1198

"He has a deep knowledge of the market and is always focused on providing high-quality and practical advice."

The Legal 500 UK 2024

"A technical expert, who also gives practical advice and understands client motivations."

The Legal 500 UK 2024

"Payments and crypto specialist Christian McDermott is noted for his focus on the monetisation of assets via NFTs."

The Legal 500 UK 2024

Next Generation Partner – IT & Telecoms

The Legal 500 UK 2024

"Christian McDermott has expertise in the IT space, conducting technology-related transactions for clients as well as handling work in the emerging technology space."

The Legal 500 UK 2023

Profile

Christian McDermott, an experienced technology lawyer, advises clients on large-scale technology contracts, commercial collaborations, as well as fintech and payments transactions.

Mr. McDermott advises global and UK-based clients — including major financial institutions as well as publicly listed, private, and emerging companies — on the development, use, and commercialization of technology, in particular:

Large-scale technology and outsourcing projects
Complex commercial collaborations
Fintech contracts
Established and emerging payments technologies
Licensing and distribution arrangements
Diligence on technology and fintech M&A and IPOs
Transitional services arrangements
General commercial law and intellectual property matters

Mr. McDermott draws on more than a decade of experience with technology and fintech matters. He has a keen sense of what is at market, utilizes effective collaboration strategies, and has developed a reputation as a skilled negotiator who knows how to get deals done.

Accolades

Ranked – Next Generation Partner for IT and Telecoms
The Legal 500 UK 2021-2022
Named a Key Lawyer for Fintech
The Legal 500 UK 2021-2022
Named a Key Lawyer for Venture Capital
The Legal 500 UK 2021
Ranked - Next Generation Lawyer for Commercial Contracts
The Legal 500 UK 2017

Experience

Mr. McDermott’s representative transactions include advising:

Outsourcing and Technology

A global retail and investment bank on the multi-billion Euro global outsourcing of its investment banking IT infrastructure
A leading UK insurer on both: the outsourcing of policy administration activities; and the outsourcing of certain IT and business processes
A global UK-headquartered retail and investment bank on the top-down renegotiation of its relationship with its biggest IT supplier, comprising individual hardware, software, and services streams
A European financial services provider on the formation of a joint venture with a leading US telecoms company, including the drafting and negotiation of various associated business and outsourcing arrangements, as well as the launch of a co-branded credit card
A global media company, negotiating framework services agreements with the client’s three main offshore service providers

Fintech and Payments

Goldman Sachs on the development of Marcus Invest, its UK Retail Investment Platform
Square in its acquisition of Verse Technologies, a Spain-based mobile payments application company
Thomas Cook Group plc on the payments-related aspects of its attempted rescue, in particular the renegotiation of arrangements with its three largest payment service providers
Interswitch on its strategic partnership with Visa, which made Interswitch one of the most valuable African FinTech businesses with a valuation of US$1 billion
A nation state on the development of a new domestic and international payments system, including the drafting the various underlying commercial contracts
CVC and Blackstone in connection with the £2.96 billion acquisition by a consortium comprised of Blackstone and CVC Capital, of Paysafe Group, a UK-based online payment solutions company
The underwriting banks on the US$2.4 billion IPO of Nets — Scandinavia’s largest payments processor