Robert E. Zahler
Partner

Mr. Zahler, a partner in Pillsbury’s Global. Sourcing group, has been practicing law for more than 35 years.

Mr. Zahler participates in a wide range of legal work at Pillsbury, with particular emphasis on sourcing, both information technology outsourcing and business process outsourcing. Mr. Zahler’s work includes counseling and negotiating large-scale facilities management, information technology outsourcing and business process outsourcing arrangements (both onshore and offshore), the structuring of telecommunications and managed network services transactions, the development of systems integration and custom system contracts, the protection of intellectual property rights and the licensing of computer software. During the last five years, Mr. Zahler has focused on restructuring and renegotiating existing transactions that required major revision due to the need for renewal or extension, changed business requirements, significant performance issues or the presence of material disagreements or disputes between the parties.

During the past 25 years, Mr. Zahler and his colleagues have represented more than 500 corporations and governmental entities on strategic outsourcing initiatives with a total contract value in excess of $450 billion. These transactions include information technology outsourcing (data center operations, distributed computing, desktop support, and applications development and maintenance), telecommunications, systems integration arrangements and, over the last ten years, significant business process outsourcing relationships covering human resources, finance and accounting, procurement and supply chain management, among others. The work of the global sourcing group includes cutting-edge transactions in the US (Morgan Stanley, Fidelity Investments, American Express, J.P. Morgan Chase, US Airways, MCI, Equifax), Canada (Air Canada, TD Bank Financial Group, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce), Australia (BHP Billiton, AMP, Government of South Australia, Telstra), South Africa and Europe (the UK Inland Revenue, Vodaphone, Royal Ahold, GlaxoSmithKline, Aventis Pharmaceuticals and Crop Science, Deutsche Bank).

Mr. Zahler has written widely on the subjects of outsourcing and procuring complex information technology and business process services. He was a key contributor to the global sourcing group's Mosaic framework and ValueChain methodology. He is a frequent speaker on the subject having appeared at conferences sponsored by CIO, Fortune and Forbes magazines, the Society of Information Management (SIM), the Sourcing Interests Group, the Outsourcing Institute, Digital Consulting Inc., the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and the Yankee Group.

• Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year, Information Technology Law—Washington, DC (2013)
• Chambers Global, Outsourcing—USA (2008-2013)
• Chambers USA, Outsourcing—National, Technology & IT Outsourcing—DC (2007-2012)
• Best Lawyers in America, Information Technology Law, IT Outsourcing Law (2008-2013)
• Legal 500 US, Outsourcing—Leading Lawyer (2007-2012)
• PLC Which Lawyer?, Outsourcing—National (2008-2009, 2011)
• Best of the Best USA, Information Technology, Euromoney/Legal Media Group (2009, 2011)
• Best Outsourcing Thought Leadership Award, The Outsourcing Institute (2007)

Society of Sigma Xi, Scientific Honorary

District of Columbia Court of Appeals, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First, Third, Fourth and District of Columbia Circuits, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia