William T. Russell

Partner
Russell William

Co-chair of the Technology, Media, and Commercial group, Bill Russell is a transactional attorney focused on technology transactions, commercial contracts, intellectual property, and general corporate law, with particular emphases on technology licensing and commercialization, joint venture, strategic alliance, and other complex commercial transactions. Bill represents emerging growth companies, mid-market companies, and Fortune 500 corporations in various industries, including information technology and software, hospitality and lodging, energy, industrial products and controls, big data, medical devices, and financial services. 

Bill has extensive experience representing clients on complex joint ventures and strategic alliances, sourcing, distribution, patent licensing, software licensing, technology collaboration and development, and systems integration deals, as well as consulting services, content licensing, co-branding, web hosting, software as a service (SaaS)/cloud computing, Internet of Things (IOT), and e-commerce contracts. A significant portion of his practice involves cross-border transactions. Bill also advises clients on copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property matters, including technology assignments and transfers. He serves as special intellectual property and technology counsel during the purchase, integration, and divestiture of businesses and product lines.

Bill is a certified public accountant.

Experience

Representative Matters

Technology and Commercial Transactions

  • Advises one of the world’s largest multinational conglomerates in structuring and negotiating complex technology-driven deals in support of its core healthcare, digital solutions, and global operations businesses, including joint product development deals, IOT deals, global distribution and resale arrangements, technology and patent licenses, strategic alliance and joint venture agreements, software licensing, and SaaS/cloud deals
  • Advises one of the world’s leading suppliers to the oil and gas industry in structuring and negotiating complex technology-driven deals, including strategic alliance and collaboration arrangements, joint product development deals, software licensing, and SaaS/cloud deals
  • Serves as outside general technology counsel to one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, including advising on software license, development and support agreements, SaaS agreements, central reservation system and property management system agreements, product supply and procurement agreements, professional services agreements, and a variety of collaboration and marketing agreements
  • Served as outside general technology counsel to one of the world’s largest petrochemical companies, including advising on technology license agreements, technical service agreements, university research agreements, joint development agreements, joint venture agreements, R&D agreements, and strategic alliance agreements
  • Represented a multinational apparel retailer in implementing a global ERP solution for managing inventory and product mix allocation throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia
  • Represented an emerging growth e-learning company in structuring and organizing a consortium of public school systems and technology providers for the development of a common platform for electronic standardized scholastic testing programs
  • Represented a leading-edge telecom company in assembling its IP telephony-based communications infrastructure, including a $500 million agreement to purchase state-of-the-art switching systems
  • Served as outside counsel to a consortium of leading telecommunications equipment and service providers for the development of uniform technology standards in the VOIP telephony industry
  • Represented a Big 3 auto manufacturer in structuring and negotiating e-commerce initiatives, including multi-million-dollar strategic alliances with affinity sites for exclusive automobile sponsorship placements
  • Represented one of the nation’s largest credit reporting bureaus in establishing a joint venture to provide digital certificate and Internet security services
  • Represented an online music streaming provider in negotiating content license agreements with major record labels
  • Represented one of the world’s leading global technology and outsourcing service providers for more than 10 years in structuring and negotiating numerous deals for outsourced services, including F&A, ADM, IT, staff augmentation, procurement, R&D, e-learning, and HR operations
  • Represented one of the nation’s largest energy utility companies in an array of strategic IT and business process outsourcing initiatives, including outsourcing core HR operations, IT applications development, and maintenance and infrastructure support operations
  • Represented one of the world’s largest hotel and hospitality companies in outsourcing its global central reservation system

Medical Devices/Pharmaceuticals

  • Represents the world’s leading provider of transformational medical technologies in its acquisition, commercialization, and global distribution of state-of-the art medical imaging, diagnostics, and patient monitoring products, including a strategic alliance to develop and distribute next-generation home healthcare products
  • Represented the world’s largest biopharmaceutical company in its divesture of various animal health products, including negotiating manufacturing agreements for the cross-supply of pharmaceutical and biological products
  • Represented a Norwegian-based medical device manufacturer in introducing its line of ultrasound peripheral products to the U.S. market, including structuring and negotiating an exclusive distribution agreement with a U.S.-based distributor

Insights

Credentials
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Education

  • J.D. cum laude Boston College Law School 1997
    • Supervising Editor, Uniform Commercial Code Reporter-Digest
  • B.S. Accounting summa cum laude DeVry University 1991

Bar Admissions

  • New York
  • Illinois
  • District of Columbia

Professional Memberships and Activities

  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, New York State Bar Association 

Recognition
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  • The Best Lawyers in America, Technology Law, 2020 – 2023
  • Chambers USA
    • Technology and Outsourcing, Washington, DC, 2017 – 2019, 2022 – 2023
    • Technology and Outsourcing, New York, 2011 – 2016
    • Up and Coming, Technology and Outsourcing, New York, 2009 – 2010
  • Legal 500
    • Technology: Outsourcing, 2012 – 2020
    • Hall of Fame, Technology: Outsourcing, 2019 – 2021
    • Technology: Transactions, 2010 – 2013
    • Leading Lawyer, Technology: Transactions, 2013 – 2019
    • Hall of Fame, Technology: Transactions, 2017 – 2023
    • Hall of Fame, Telecoms and Broadcast: Transactions, 2023
  • IAM Patent 1000, The World’s Leading Patent Professionals, 2012 – 2015, 2017 – 2019, 2022 – 2023
  • LMG Life Sciences, Life Science Star, 2012 (Inaugural edition)
  • IAM Licensing 250, The World’s Leading Patent and Technology Licensing Practitioners, 2010 – 2011