Rachel I. Block

Entertainment Content Acquisition and Distribution

• Negotiated and drafted agreements with publishers for distribution of ebooks for the consumer and education markets. Drafted customer-facing terms of use. Provided on-going counseling on launch of new service and compliance with agreements.
• Updated and interpreted distribution agreements with video game creators and publishers to keep pace with technological evolution of gaming platform.
• Advised clients on intellectual property issues, including copyright, creative commons, and public domain.

Technology Sales, Marketing, and Distribution Networks

• Drafted new sales agreements for start-up providing satellite connectivity and geographic data, including equipment leasing terms and associated software licensing and data-as-a-service subscription terms.
• For clients in technology and payments industries, drafted agreements for sale and resale, through network of value-adding partners, of clients' hardware, software, and services to end-user customers.
• For global technology company, assisted in companywide streamlining and restructuring of software sales and distribution agreements governing long-standing partnerships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
• Drafted joint marketing and co-branding agreements for software and hardware companies.

Patent Licensing, Manufacturing, and Virtual Reality Hardware

• Drafted and negotiated component sourcing agreement, including a patent license, for virtual reality hardware.
• Drafted patent license to enable OEMs to create and distribute augmented reality headsets incorporating patented orientation and positioning technology.

Fintech and Financial Services

• Negotiated agreement on behalf of a global technology company for the provision of cloud services to a global systemically important financial institution (GSIFI).
• Represented a regional commercial bank in the procurement of security technology and of marketing and web development services.
• For a credit card issuer, managed local trademark counsel in connection with the international deployment of a custom mobile-wallet service.

Strategic Procurement

• For technology, e-commerce, and financial industry clients, drafted and negotiated agreements for the procurement of on-premise software, cloud solutions, and professional services, for:
  • Customer relationship management
  • Inventory and financial reporting
  • Learning management systems
  • Recruitment and hiring
  • Payroll processing
  • Web content development and hosting
  • Information security tools.
• Represented global technology company in complex negotiations with a vendor with whom client has long-standing, multi-layered business relationships, requiring coordination of large teams and diverse stakeholders.
• Negotiated deals on both client and vendor paper.

Mergers & Acquisitions

• Represented private equity firm in acquisition of LiveOps Cloud Platform, a provider of SaaS-based cloud contact center and customer service solutions.
• Conducted IP due diligence of an augmented reality hardware company to support negotiation of reps and warranties for a sports and entertainment company.
• Assisted in many aspects of post-acquisition integration of company into global cloud services provider, including drafting a series of new form end-user agreements, sales channel partner agreements, and outbound software licensing agreements for the acquired company, and counseled regarding adoption of acquirer's policies and internal procedures.
• Drafted agreements for sales of goods and assignment of software licenses in connection with post-acquisition divestments by an acquiring company.

Finance, Energy, and Regulatory

• Drafted and negotiated agreements to obtain bank financing for clients in natural gas, logistics, marine transport, and fisheries industries.
• Conducted legal research and participated in discovery on behalf of major electricity customer in regulatory litigation regarding distributed generation.
• Advised electric utility regarding federal administrative regulations.
• Counseled clients, including restaurant chain and private individual, about state and city land use regulations.