Pinsents and MoFo settle HMRC dispute with EDS

Pinsent Masons disputes partner Rob McCallough was called in by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to help Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) settle HMRC's dispute with IT supplier EDS.

HMRC settled its dispute with EDS yesterday after MoFo, Pinsent Masons and its legal team of Jeremy Storey QC of Pump Court and Nicholas Saunders of Hogarth Chambers threatened to sue.

MoFo’s head of global sourcing Alistair Maughan advised the UK tax authority on its Aspire project, which saw the government department axe EDS and appoint Capgemini as its key IT outsourcing partner, and continued to assist with this dispute.

The £71.25m settlement covers HMRC’s claim for compensation for problems experienced with the IT system developed by EDS, to support the 2003 launch and subsequent operation of Tax Credits, during EDS’s partnership with HMRC.

SJ Berwin partner Mike Bywell advised EDS.