Mishcon de Reya LLP's merger with Taylor Vinters in January 2023 brought together teams of experts on both sides to create a ‘responsive, insightful, and very experienced’ combined practice, which routinely provides core AI regulatory and licensing advice, alongside IP protection and infringement risk counsel. From the legacy Taylor Vinters side, the 'practical, personable, and fiercely intelligent' Ashley Williams heads the group, while also co-leading the tech transactions team; Claire Green is a specialist in the fintech sphere, while James Boyle stands out for providing privacy and data protection advice to data rich businesses. Nina O’Sullivan is a partner and head knowledge lawyer in the innovation department, focusing on IP and data protection, while sports and tech expert Simon Leaf and fintech and privacy partner Ashley Winton are also noted as key.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The team in Mishcon is very responsive, insightful and very experienced in all topics relevant to a technology business. We have interacted with multiple firms in the past the quality of service is excellent and beyond market expectations.’

  • ‘Ashley Williams is responsible for dealing with our contracts. His experience and professionalism means that our contractual relationships are clear and there have been no issues.’

  • ‘AI is a new space in the market, and the team at Mishcon have been proactive in trying to help us assess our risks and give confidence that our commercial paperwork is dealing with the new complications caused by AI.’

  • ‘Ann Rose has been extremely proactive, helpful and also patient.’

  • ‘Headed up by partner Ashley Williams, this team has been at the cutting edge of AI for years (long before ChatGPT made every company an AI company!), and are well connected to the contracting, IP, data protection and policy angles of AI.'

  • 'They are fast to respond, strategic, commercial, pragmatic, and a pleasure to work with.’
  • ‘Ashley Williams is a leading lawyer in this field. He is practical, personable, and fiercely intelligent - a strong lawyer for every AI company to have on its side.’

Key clients

  • Wayve Technologies Ltd
  • Hewlett Packard Enterprises ("HPE")
  • Abex Capital Limited
  • Elucidat Limited
  • Kultralab Ltd
  • Sapio Sciences UK
  • Perceptual Robotics Ltd

Work highlights

  • Advised Hewlett Packard Enterprises in relation to a deal opposite the University of Bristol to build the UK's most powerful supercomputer, which will be a research facility focused on AI.
  • Advised Perceptual Robotics on: (i) the licensing of its AI technology for the inspection of wind turbines; (ii) advising on licensing regimes; (iii) liability positions given higher risk use of its solution with drone technology; and (iv) investments rounds.
  • Advised Sapio Sciences on licensing its AI assistant technology to customers which aims to increase efficiency, productivity and access to results for those in the scientific community.

Lawyers

Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Ashley Williams

Other key lawyers

James Boyle, Nina O'Sullivan, Claire Green, Simon Leaf, Ashley Winton, Gareth Dickson, Chris Keen, Anne Rose, Tom Murray, Hugo Christie, Raj Shah, Emily Francis