Michael Peeters

Michael has experience in a wide variety of technology law areas including information technology and telecoms deals and outsourcing projects.

He has over 25 years' experience and much of this is international, although he is based in Leeds.

He heads our 300 strong Leeds office as well as the Northern Technology Law team.

He has worked with a wide range of both suppliers and users of information and communications technologies (ICT): on the customer side clients he has supported have ranged from central government departments to financial services and international businesses; while on the supplier side his clients have covered a wide spectrum from major systems integrators and leading BPO suppliers to niche software houses.

Relevant experience includes advising:

• Major financial services players (e.g. global insurers and ‘top 3’ Building Societies) with often leading edge and often regulated ‘FinTech’ deals for the transformation of clients’ business operations and customer handling – with a series of deals over many years giving Michael the experience to add strategic value.
• UK central government departments with complex and major IT projects; clients have included the Department of Health and Social Care, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Education. Michael’s long-standing experience of dealing with Tier 1 suppliers and managing major IT procurement projects make him a real asset to clients on these often challenging projects.
• On innovative technology deals, for example 5G telecoms roll-out projects for leading suppliers and complex multi-party CRM and contactless ticketing solutions for 2 of the UK’s largest Passenger Transport Executives.
• Software suppliers (often from overseas) on a wide range of UK supply arrangements.
• Health providers and agencies (such as NHS Digital and Spire Hospitals) with a range of MedTech/HealthTech work.

Michael is a recognised figure in the technology law arena with top listings in the legal directories for at least the last 15 years. Michael is recognised by Chambers and Partners as a “Band 1 Partner” for Yorkshire and his team is recognised in Band 1 as well.

Chambers (2019) said that “Michael Peeters is renowned for his expertise in outsourcing, telecoms and other IT-related matters, with deep experience acting for both suppliers and customers in complex and often international transactions. One client says: "He's very thorough, and when he goes to meetings he commands instant respect."

He is the only lawyer in the North of England to be recommended in the 'International Who's Who of Information Technology lawyers' (independently researched) and one of just two (in the North) to be listed in the Legal 500 'Hall of Fame' for IT.

Michael is Treasurer to (and future President of) the International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw) and regularly speaks at international conferences. He regularly contributes to publications, most recently as co-editor of a global review of the regulation of Artificial Intelligence. He is an active supporter of the technology sector community in Leeds including with FinTech North and The Leeds Digital Festival.