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Legal Services

 
OTR-Group's Reputation 
We have assisted organisations in all areas of technology disputes and arbitrations.

Legal Counsel assistance - OTR-Group assists in the highest-profile technical cases in the world, including the recent action against Microsoft.

Access to the right people - OTR-Group has a wealth of experienced staff and associates, built up over many years, to ensure that the right expertise is applied to the right case, at the right time.

Total market reach - OTR-Group's significant cross-market experience is available to guarantee that a client's needs are fully researched and addressed.

Court aware - OTR-Group has attended a number of different courts and jurisdictions.

Independence - OTR-Group is entirely independent from other consultancies and suppliers.

Research - OTR-Group can assist in critical and systematic research and produce reasoned assessments of the disputed subjects, including cases that involve detailed technical issues.
 
Outsourced Contract Issues
A large number of outsourcing contracts are not only poorly structured but, in the event of a dispute, impossible to resolve. The parties' expectations and realistic measurements of performance are critical, not only during the life of a contract, but also in the event of any dispute.

OTR-Group provides assistance and monitoring during the make-up, contract signature, execution and review phase of outsourcing contracts to keep both parties aware of their mutual agreements. During the life of the contract, OTR-Group provides a benchmarking service to ensure that the contract is offering best value compared with industry standards.

OTR-Group works in conjunction with legal experts in technology contracts, to offer an "Effective Outsourcing" service focusing on the following areas:

 Legal

• Advice on law relating to outsourcing contracts
• Pre-contract /Tender phase
• Contract term
• Exit phase

 
Operational

• Review of deliverables and management reports
• Evaluation against true peers in the market
• Assessment of technical areas covered to ascertain that expectations and deliverables are indeed realistic
• Measurability of the contract:  

        SLA reports
        Management reports
        Relevance of measurement 
        Comparisons 
 
Our service is intended to provide initial support, prior to the contract, before any issues arise. We seek to integrate the expectations of both parties by ensuring that the contract is reasonable, realistically measurable, and that both parties jointly agree on the expected results. Benchmarking is often initiated ahead of contract signature.
 
Benchmarking Peers
OTR-Group has comprehensive experience in identifying relevant and meaningful Key Performance Indicators. We put in place the processes by which these are captured and reported, and provide monthly comparisons against a range of industry peers. Frequently, disputes or mistrust by either party can be resolved when compared against peer group information within the same market.
 
OTR-Group And The European Commission
As a European consultancy, OTR-Group has fostered close relations with the European Commission. OTR-Group assisted the Directorate General XIII (Telecommunications, Information Industry and Innovation) of the EC to draft the contractual documents for signature by the participants in the COSINE project. OTR-Group has also advised Commission officials responsible for EC competition policy on the structure and dynamics of the EC software industry.

Communications Industry Association Of Japan - OTR-Group assisted against the Competition Directorate of the European Commission. Our research demonstrated that office machines were not being unfairly introduced into the European market.

Electronics Industry Association Of Japan - OTR-Group assisted against the European Commission. Our reports demonstrated that laser optical-reading systems imported from Japan were not being unfairly introduced in Europe.

European Commission DG IV (Competition Directorate) - OTR-Group is the "external expert" to advise and guide the Commission concerning the European anti-trust case against Microsoft.

European Commission DG IV (Competition Directorate) - OTR-Group conducted a study that provided details concerning IBM's European revenues from its operating systems software and its market share.

White & Case - OTR-Group's expert testimony before the VAT Tribunal of the UK on behalf of an American set-top-box maker helped lawyers establish the classification of the equipment.

We have been employed in a high number of technical-related cases, working for both industry and governments. Our reports are precise and correct to the point that they have been used in the Court of First Instance.
 
Our Contribution In Other Legal Areas
Mergers & Acquisitions - OTR-Group has the ability to assess the value provided by ICT to M&A is fully understood. Our services cover due diligence, assessment, research, and integration.

Regulatory advice and guidance - OTR-Group has a wealth of experience gained within multiple regulatory environments.

Sourcing advice and assistance - We have knowledge and experience to ensure that the correct sourcing decision is taken, securing a seamless transition covering Organisational Design, Third Party Contracts, Risk Management, Communications and Change Management. OTR-Group has the knowledge and experience to evaluate suppliers.
 
 
 

Legal Services 
OTR-Group has for over 20 years assisted clients involved in litigation and provides teams of highly qualified practitioners from diverse technical disciplines to support a wide range of legal actions. We provide expert testimony and produce factual, well-researched reports to a standard that is capable of withstanding any challenge in the upper courts.