Lawyers for Technology Companies
We work with technology companies across the Kingdom on contracts, compliance and disputes, with a practical grasp of how the sector actually operates.
Overview
Technology companies face legal questions unlike those in other sectors: who owns the code? what is the lawful basis for processing user data? and does this product need a sector licence at all? The answers shape the product itself, not just its contracts.
We work with software companies, platforms and cloud providers on code ownership and developer agreements, service level agreements and terms of use, data protection compliance and cross-border transfers, processing agreements with vendors, and enterprise customer contracts.
What most often stalls acquisitions in this sector is IP ownership: a founder assumes the company owns the product, while the code was written by a contractor under an agreement that never assigned it. We address this early, because fixing it later needs consent from people you may not be able to find.
The legal framework
Technology companies operate within the data, IP and electronic transactions regimes:
- The Personal Data Protection Law and its implementing regulations
- The Copyright Law as applied to software
- The Electronic Transactions Law and electronic signatures
- The Anti-Cyber Crime Law
- The controls on transferring data outside the Kingdom
- Sector licensing requirements in regulated activities
Situations we handle
Assigning code ownership to the company
Developer and contractor agreements must contain an express assignment, or the company does not own its product.
An enterprise customer contract
Service levels, liability on outage and ownership of deliverables — three clauses that determine the contract's profitability.
Using vendors outside the Kingdom
Transfers are subject to controls assessed before selecting the vendor, not after the architecture is built on it.
A product collecting sensitive data
The lawful basis, consent and access controls are built into the product, not into a separate document.
Preparing for an acquisition or round
Code ownership, contracts and compliance are examined first, and an organised company closes faster.
Costly mistakes we see
- 1
Developer agreements with no assignment
The first thing diligence stops on. Fixing it later requires consent from parties whose relationship with you may have ended.
- 2
A privacy policy that does not match the product
Text that does not describe what your system actually does is documented evidence of breach, not compliance.
- 3
Unlimited liability in customer contracts
A capped-value contract with uncapped liability is a structurally losing equation, however important the customer.
- 4
Building before asking the licensing question
Financial, health and education products may need a licence that changes the shape of the product itself.
How the procedure runs, step by step
Technology companies rest on three legal assets: ownership of the code, customer contracts, and data compliance. A weakness in any one surfaces at financing or at the first enterprise customer.
- 1
Secure ownership of the IP
We confirm the code and design vest in the entity: employee and contractor agreements with express assignment clauses. A freelance developer owning part of your product is what stops a deal at diligence.
- 2
Build the customer contracts
We prepare the service agreement, service levels, liability limits, and data rights. A contract promising availability with no carve-outs creates liability for outages you do not control.
- 3
Personal Data Protection Law compliance
We review the data flow, the legal basis, transfers outside the Kingdom, and processing agreements with your vendors. Offshore hosting with no impact assessment is the sector’s most common breach.
- 4
Licences required for the activity
Some technology models need a sector licence: payments, health, education or transport. Shipping a feature that enters a regulated activity without a licence puts the whole product at risk of suspension.
- 5
Financing readiness
We organise the cap table, vesting, board minutes and the contract register. A ready company clears diligence in weeks; an unready one loses the deal while fixing its paperwork.
Documents we will ask you for
- Employee and contractor agreements
- The service agreement template in use
- A description of the data flow and hosting providers
- Commercial registration and ownership structure
- The privacy policy and terms of use
- A list of current customer contracts
Fees and timelines
We offer a core package for technology companies at a fixed fee: developer agreements with IP assignment, terms of use and privacy policy, and an enterprise customer contract template. Reviews and bespoke contracts are priced separately.
On timing: the core package takes one to three weeks depending on the product's complexity. Reviewing an enterprise customer contract takes three to seven working days depending on length and technical annexes.
Common questions
Who owns code developed by a contractor?
The contractor, unless the agreement expressly assigns rights to the company. This point halts the first diligence exercise, so we address it upfront with proper developer agreements.
Does the data protection law apply to us?
It applies broadly to the processing of personal data, and any product collecting user or employee data falls within scope. The exemptions are narrow and specific.
Can we use a foreign hosting provider?
Yes, within the controls on transfers outside the Kingdom relating to purpose, level of protection and safeguards. This is verified before selecting the vendor, not after building the system on it.
What are the key clauses in an enterprise contract?
Service levels and remedies on outage, liability caps, and ownership of deliverables and data. Uncapped liability in a capped-value contract is a structurally losing equation.
Does our product need a licence?
It depends on the activity. Products in financial, health or education sectors may need a sector licence before launch, and that is checked at the idea stage rather than after building.
What is a data processing agreement?
A contract with a vendor processing data on your behalf, setting out purpose, scope, responsibility, security and transfers. Without one, the full regulatory exposure sits with you when an incident occurs.
How do we prepare for investor diligence?
By organising code ownership, employee and contractor agreements, customer contracts, and data protection documentation. Those are the first three files examined, and having them ready saves weeks of negotiation.
Do you review vendor contracts?
Yes, particularly liability, security, data transfer and audit rights. A weak vendor contract transfers its risk to you before both your customers and the regulator.
Related services
Technology & Data Privacy Lawyers
We help companies comply with personal data protection rules and paper their technology arrangements.
Intellectual Property Lawyers
We protect trade marks, inventions and creative works, and pursue infringement through both administrative and court channels.
Terms & Privacy Policy Lawyers
We draft terms of use and privacy policies for your platform in line with data protection rules.