Elisabeth Bell

Elisabeth is a Partner in our Reading office, specialising in the fields of IT, data protection and commercial contracts.

Main areas of practice

Elisabeth is a versatile commercial lawyer, having extensive practical experience drafting, negotiating and advising on legal issues arising in connection with a wide range of commercial projects for private, public and third sectors.

She has particular experience advising on IT and data protection issues, as well as extensive commercial experience in the health sectors.  Drawing on secondments to a number of international companies, and the Commercial Directorate at the Department of Health, she has advised on significant outsourcing and procurement projects as well as a wide range of commercial business as usual contracts including software licensing; supply arrangements for goods and services; distribution and agency arrangements and public sector procurement projects. advises on IP issues for a range of public and private sector organisations.

Clients

Elisabeth has worked with clients in the public, private and third sectors on a wide range of commercial legal issues and contractual arrangements.

Significant experience

IT/IP

• Drafting commercialisation agreements to support the spin-out of technology identified and developed in universities, including in the fields of health-tech, automated vehicles, machine learning and big data.
• Drafting and negotiation arrangements for the developing and licensing of AI technologies in the motor industry.
• Drafting and advising on commercial arrangements for licensing of online platforms and portals for use in the recruitment, construction, motor and retail industries.

Health and Social Care

• Elisabeth was involved in a number of programme-wide issues relating to the implementation of the ISCT Programme, including a 2 year secondment to the Contract Management Unit implementing awarded contracts, and advised on pilot schemes including Commuter Walk-in Centres, Mobile MRI and PET CT screening and Pharmacy Chlamydia screening services.
• Elisabeth has advised on commercial, IT and data implications arising in the context of major health service reorganisations, including a role advising the Trust Special Administrator on the dissolution of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and separation of community and primary care services in NHS Surrey.
• Advising two leading NHS Foundation Trusts on business critical projects to outsource pharmacy support services through competitive dialogue tenders, with an estimated value of £20m over 5 years. Our role included advising on the procurement documentation and issues, supporting the dialogue discussions with each of the bidders and developing the contracting model and terms with the client and through the dialogue process with bidders.
• Negotiating software licensing and hosting arrangements for IT systems deployed into hospitals on behalf of private sector organisations.

GDPR

• Advising clients on data protection issues in relation to the collection and sharing of personal data including advising on terms and conditions for commercial agreements to manage and share risks when processing personal data as well as advising on data protection implications and solutions in connection with substantial commercial projects and transactions, including outsourcing, joint ventures and corporate restructuring.

Education

• FE College – negotiating a contract for the purchase, instalment and ongoing support for a WIFI upgrade across 6 campus locations valued at £7m over 3 years.
• Advising a private school on contracts for the design and development of an online pupil data management system for the secure management of educational and welfare related pupil information.
• Swansea University – advising on commercial agreements for the procurement and relocation of the “Blue Dragon” supercomputer to support the development of the innovation hub at the University. Including negotiating with IBM and other suppliers for the relocation and reinstallation of the computer from its then location.

Commercial Contracts

• Negotiating the early termination and settlement of claims in connection with a £50m services agreement for material breach of contract, including drafting press releases and financial settlements.
• Elisabeth has significant secondment experience working in-house at BP Legal, Xerox Europe, and the Department of Health’s Commercial Directorate (Contract Management Unit) advising on a diverse range of commercial arrangements, supporting both sales and procurement teams and advising management on various commercial legal matters.

Expertise

• Health and Social Care Funding Disputes
• Commercial Contracts
• Data Protection
• Intellectual Property
• Technology
• IT Outsourcing
• Commercial IT Contracts

Career

Elisabeth qualified in 2001 after completing a LLB at the University of Leicester. She also holds an IS Examining Board (ISEB) Certificate in Data Protection.

She was promoted to Partner in May 2020.