Defence & Space Solicitors in London
What can Newboulds offer in this sector?
Newboulds works with defence and space technology suppliers to identify and win contract opportunities. We leverage our business networks to help you engage with the buyers and collaborate with the markets to build relationships that generate results. Newboulds understands the risks and pitfalls of working in major technology projects. We can help your business contract on terms that are supportive to your business, make you money and grow.
What experience has it had?
Sophie Newbould has worked on major defence contracts with large and small consultancy and technology suppliers. Space and defence are key areas of growth for Newboulds and we are able to provide competitive packages of support to technology suppliers that will keep you ahead of the competition. Sophie is becoming a regular speaker at large defence technology conferences and works closely with defence and space commercial and trade bodies to optimise opportunities for UK businesses.
What are the challenges and pitfalls here?
Whilst it is true that defence and space buyers require highly specialised technical requirements usually from very few major primes in each market, the reality is that many of the components of those products, or particularly for high tech items like software can be provided from a much wider competition pool of talented firms/individuals. This has the interesting effect of squeezing the primes, which can make it impossible and not worth it for SMEs to enter into these markets.
From an academic perspective the overall market is probably more like oligopsony, with few buyers and few suppliers.
In truth, while MOD can rely on the Defence primes turning up to bid, they cannot rely on the tech firms and on genuine talent - if they want those they have to accept they have almost no market power and change their procurement approach for different types of product/activity - DOS/G-Cloud work pretty well, but as soon as the opportunity gets big they go back to the old ways and crush the value out of the activity... and all suppliers dread single source regulations being applied in case they are too successful...
The reality of the US-China technology and science ‘new cold war’ on cyber and sovereign states’ security means systems processes and secure data handling is more important now than ever before.
Public funding is at its lowest, therefore more investment on sophisticated commercial and investment terms is needed from the private sector to support national interests. There are real corruption risks at stake, which could be damaging not only to the national interests of citizens but also to the reputation and branding of companies involved - if they are not well advised.
Governments, defense departments and solution providers need to adopt more sophisticated ways to fund these projects of national and international importance for the safety and security of domestic and global communities.
Newboulds’ lawyers are masters in supporting major technology projects in a modern, practical way - that actually supports the running and success prospects of these projects.
Team working and collaboration is the core subject area for defence and space right now, as it is recognised that the value and resourcing of people is what makes the difference in successful project delivery.
Newboulds leads in supporting major project teams with practical legal and process solutions to run major procurement projects and contracts themselves. No stone is left unturned as we assure Programme Directors and Senior Risk Officers that their project processes are watertight when it comes to risk management and defending futile challenges.
Our technology clients are assured that Newboulds knows the Defense and Space landscapes particularly well, and what is the best way to handle these buyers in order to preserve the supplier’s commercial position.