Laura Houston > Slaughter and May > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Slaughter and May Offices
ONE BUNHILL ROW
LONDON
EC1Y 8YY
England
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Laura Houston
Work Department
Commercial Contracts
Strategic Sourcing
Information Technology
Intellectual Property
Data Privacy
Emerging Tech
Cyber
Tech Transactions
Position
Partner; Laura advises clients on the full spectrum of IP, tech and commercial contracts matters.
Laura’s IP practice covers both advisory and transactional work. She has extensive experience in advising clients on the protection and exploitation of IP rights across a broad range of sectors and industries, alongside portfolio management matters. In addition, Laura frequently acts on IP licensing arrangements, as well as the IP and technology aspects of mergers, acquisitions, disposals, investments and joint ventures.
On the tech side, Laura advises on all areas of traditional and emerging technologies, including blockchain, AI and Internet of Things, both in an advisory capacity and as part of wider transactions. Laura also has significant experience in advising on the transitional servicing aspects of corporate transactions, in addition to a wide range of other commercial arrangements underpinning such transactions.
Laura is also an active participant in our Data Privacy hub, advising clients on data protection and privacy issues in a wide range of contexts.
Career
Joined firm in 2011. Partner since 2021.
Lawyer Rankings
London > Industry focus > Life sciences and healthcare
The extensive team at Slaughter and May
addresses a variety of contentious and non-contentious matters, including commercial agreements, IP rights strategies and M&A. Duncan Blaikie and Claire Jackson jointly oversee matters. Blaikie frequently guides clients through the complexities of licensing, collaboration, and research and development agreements, while Jackson handles transactional demergers, joint ventures and inter-conditional asset swaps. IP licensing arrangements are a practice strength of Laura Houston.
London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
Slaughter and May’s broad caseload encompasses digital infrastructure projects, IT outsourcing, regulatory matters, and technology disputes. Practice head Rob Sumroy
‘gives radically clear pragmatic advice’ and is well-versed in commercial licensing, sourcing transactions, and technology-related investments. David Ives is often engaged in IT service agreements and software developments, while Duncan Blaikie covers telecommunications procurement. Laura Houston is noted for her strength in technology assets, and Rebecca Cousin is well-informed in the data aspects of corporate transactions. Ian Ranson is another key team member.
Lawyer Rankings
- IT and telecoms London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Life sciences and healthcare London > Industry focus
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Finance > Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Corporate and commercial > Commercial contracts
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Dispute resolution > Competition litigation
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Employment > Employee share schemes
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: M&A and acquisition financing
- Insurance > Insurance: corporate and regulatory
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Upper Mid-Market And Premium Deals, £750m+
- Employment > Pensions (non-contentious)
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
Firm Rankings
- Real estate > Commercial property: development
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency
- Finance > Debt capital markets
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – mid-large cap
- Risk advisory > ESG
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Fintech: corporate and commercial
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: Project finance and development
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- Employment > Pensions: dispute resolution
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity and nuclear)
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Renewables
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Industry focus > TMT
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Finance > Derivatives and structured products
- Employment > Employers
- Real estate > Environment
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Industry focus > Life sciences and healthcare
- Finance > Securitisation
- Finance > Acquisition finance
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Insurance > Insurance and reinsurance litigation
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- Real estate > Property finance
- Industry focus > Retail and consumer
- Real estate > Planning
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions – high-value deals (£500m+)