Summoning the Muse

Todd Krieger, Senior Global Counsel, InterSystems Corporation, USA

Imagine that you are in-house counsel negotiating a large and complex international IT transaction. The parties are interested in doing business together and but cannot agree on one of the usual risk management issues in the contract such as the warranty, limitation or liability, or indemnity. The executives for both parties have insisted that the legal teams find a creative solution to conclude the contract by the end of the week. As in-house counsel, you are also juggling a real estate transaction, several labor law disputes around the globe, and multiple sales people pushing their contracts to the top of your inbox. The interruptions seem to increase as it gets closer to the end of the week and you need develop a compromise to help move the transaction forward. The other party is not looking to ‘horse trade’ on clauses, they want their concerns addressed and yet, you are unable to introduce additional risks to your client or deviate from the business terms, and you need to develop some alternative ideas.

Todd Krieger is senior global counsel at InterSystems Corporation in Cambridge, MA, USA, working primarily on international and domestic software licensing and related agreements in healthcare, financial services, and other fields with governmental and private entities. Prior to joining InterSystems, Todd worked as legal counsel at Bose Corporation where he focused his practice on copyright and trademark matters, international distribution, retail and wholesale pricing, antitrust, technology licensing, data protection/privacy, marketing, warranties, and other legal issues. As an adjunct professor at Suffolk University Law School in Boston since 2000, Todd teaches classes in Cyberspace and Technology Law and Transactional Law and Practice. He is a graduate of Lesley University School of Management in Cambridge, and Suffolk University Law School in Boston. When he is not practicing law, Todd also works as an artist in the studio that he shares with his wife at Gorse Mill Studios in Needham, MA where he designs jewelry and sculpture from recycled materials and other media.

InterSystems Corporation: InterSystems is a global software company based in Cambridge, Mass. Founded in 1978, the privately held company develops advanced database, integration, and analytics technologies sold to customers in more than 100 countries.