Clifford Chance announced the hire of counsel Kelley Bledsoe in Washington, DC. Bledsoe's practice focuses on strategic technology, outsourcing and commercial transactions that facilitate successful, long-term business relationships and drive significant cost savings for clients.

This move follows the firm's recent hiring of tech partners Violetta Kokolus, Vipul Nishawala, Meighan O'Reardon and James McPhillips in the US in a further expansion of the firm's 600+ attorney Global Tech Group that offers clients tech law advice across the spectrum of matters impacted by technology and its rapid transformation.

Bledsoe advises a diverse range of clients, including multinational corporations, most notably in the financial, healthcare and retail industries. She has significant experience negotiating software license, software as a service (SaaS), business associate, and managed services agreements and advising clients on vendor selection, data privacy and protection strategies, and post-contract vendor management.

Co-head of the firm's Global Tech Group Devika Kornbacher says, "Kelley's arrival adds considerable strength to our growing tech capabilities in the US and will help us meet heightened client demand for advice on strategic technology transactions as organizations across all industries navigate the exponential acceleration of technology offerings in the market.
"Organizations continue to look for guidance on the nuances of integrating technology into their wider infrastructure. Kelley has extensive experience in drafting and negotiating development, maintenance, licensing and professional services agreements and supporting her clients on their activation, implementation and training – an evolving space that brings in multiple stakeholders across the business. We're delighted to welcome her to the team."

Bledsoe says, “I am ready to hit the ground running to drive forward Clifford Chance’s tech and outsourcing practice in the United States and am thrilled to be part of the firm's global tech platform. Our team is equipped with the experience and know-how to efficiently lead strategic technology deals for our clients from beginning to end.”