Steve Holmes

Biography

Steve Holmes leads Baker McKenzie's Technology & Communications practice in London. Steve is rated by the UK legal directories as a leading lawyer in the outsourcing, telecoms and technology categories, which state:

"He is very commercial and experienced . . . He is definitely someone you want on your side in a tough negotiation" (Chambers UK, 2020, Telecoms).

“Steve is a superstar. He builds rapport like no one I've ever seen and gets deals done efficiently and with finesse." "He's one of the top lawyers in the outsourcing market" (Chambers UK, 2020, Outsourcing).

"Very strong." "Excellent academically and commercially" (Chambers UK, 2020, Information Technology).

“Steve Holmes brings a combination of expert and commercially relevant analysis that is very much appreciated” (Legal 500, 2020, IT and Telecoms).

Clients commend his "wealth of experience in the IT world and for his understanding of where the market is and where the technology is developing," and comment that “his customer service is great and he challenges us to think creatively" (Chambers UK, 2019, Information Technology).

Practice Focus

Steve’s practice focuses on drafting and negotiating major technology, outsourcing, telecommunications and digital transactions, acting for both customers and suppliers across a range of sectors. He also provides regulatory advice to clients operating in the technology and digital space.

Representative Legal Matters

Outsourcing

Advised a global audit firm on the outsourcing of their internal “computing” services.
Advised a UK MNO on a call centre outsourcing to Capita.
Advised a UK high street on the outsourcing of their anti-money laundering system to BAE Systems.
Advised a global financial services company on the retendering of their global network services outsourcing agreement covering core and branch office networks across more than 140 countries world-wide.
Advised a leading bank on the second generation outsourcing of services to support and maintain, throughout the UK and overseas, its distributed computing network.
Advised a UK-based voice and electronic dealer broker in relation to its engagement of a supplier to provide cloud-based HR services, namely the provision of Human Capital Management delivered as Software as a Service.
Advised one of the UK’s biggest pension schemes on an agreement for the procurement of pension administration services.

Telecoms

Advised a UK mobile network operator on a range of technology procurement and implementation deals, including 5G deployment, software licensing, IT support, application development and maintenance services and network equipment.
Advising a UK MNO on the procurement of a virtualised core network.
Advised an MVNO in the re-negotiation of its network agreement with a mobile network operator.

Admissions

England & Wales~United Kingdom (1998)

Education

College of Law, Chester (L.P.C.) (1995)
Cambridge University (Robinson College) (Law Degree) (1994)

Languages

English
French

Steve has spoken and written extensively on a broad range of issues, including: cloud computing, digital transformation, service levels, payment mechanisms, content licensing and intermediary / platform liability.

Steve is active in diversity and inclusion, participating in Baker McKenzie’s social mobility, ethnicity and gender focused activities. He was the founding partner of Baker McKenzie’s social mobility group.