Artificial intelligence is already creating value, driving growth, and improving efficiency.
It's disrupting every sector. Life sciences companies are using it to develop new antibiotics. Tech companies are using it to advance software and speed up its development. Financial services companies are using it to protect customers. And automotive companies are using it to improve the manufacturing process, with an eye on one day creating fully autonomous vehicles.
Its future potential is limitless — but harnessing the power of AI is not straightforward. It requires technical understanding, dealmaking dexterity, and regulatory responsiveness.
We are the law firm of choice for ambitious and innovative businesses. With a long history of advising technology leaders and disruptors, we understand the real-world complexities of artificial intelligence and provide legal counsel that helps companies of all sizes, in all sectors, translate opportunity into reality.
Whether you’re leading AI innovation, investing in the future, or helping your organisation manage AI risk, we can help.
AI is disrupting every sector, including Life sciences, Technology, Financial services and Automotive. For more information on how, see our Artificial intelligence insights page.
With near limitless potential applications, it can be hard to know where you can benefit most from AI. That's where we come in. We're an innovation-focused firm, with a reputation built on working at the forefront of new areas of law and regulation – including artificial intelligence.
We've advised clients on all aspects of AI. We've helped developers create the technology in accordance with regulation. Advised companies how to introduce it in their business. And helped investors sort the hype from the actual opportunities.
AI's resurgence in popularity has also brought more scrutiny. Now more than ever, it's important you stay on the right side of the law concerning topics like copyright and IP, customer data, and discrimination.
We can help you use AI to seize the competitive advantage whilst steering clear of risk. We'll help you implement it safely. Advise you on using it transparently and complying with regulation. And help you assess the ethical implications of how its use will affect your people and customers.
The AI investment marketplace is intricate and constantly evolving. Whether you're buying or selling, we excel in negotiation and deal structuring to maximise value and minimise complications. As an investor, we can advise you in the areas of due diligence, risk assessments, technology assessments, investment structuring, IP safeguarding strategies, venture capital, private equity, and private capital.
Organisations across the world are adopting AI technology to power their processes and gain a competitive edge. As a general counsel, our AI-specialist lawyers can advise you in the areas of regulatory compliance, IP safeguarding strategies, data protection strategies and documentation, commercial contracts and outsourcing agreements, dispute resolution, and employment and labour.
Companies that understand, embrace, and integrate AI technologies will succeed in tomorrow's world. Our role as legal AI experts is to keep you informed and guide you through compliance to avoid legal and commercial pitfalls. We offer strategic M&A counsel for buyers and sellers, including due diligence and technology assessments, commercial contracts and outsourcing agreements, risk assessments and tax advice.
The AI landscape is subject to evolving regulations. We understand that protecting your AI-related intellectual property is crucial. Our AI-law experts provide comprehensive legal services and advice, including regulatory compliance, IP safeguarding strategies, data protection strategies and documentation, strategic M&A counsel, IPO advisory, venture capital, private equity, wealth management, and tax.
Find out more information on our full spectrum of AI legal services.
Artificial intelligence Act
Read frequently asked questions, commentary and the latest updates concerning the EU's AI Act.
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Our Digital Legislation Tracker covers all the incoming and recent law around AI in the EU, UK and Germany, along with other topics.
Access trackerAI – are we getting the balance between regulation and innovation right?
In this edition of Interface we explore approaches to regulating AI in different jurisdictions and sectors, covering IP issues, dark patterns, product liability and healthcare.
Learn moreRe Form | The new dynamics of the digital consumer economy
In our campaign, we look at what’s reforming the digital consumer economy and what you need to know about performing in this market – unpicking trends with legal analysis and expert perspectives from industry leaders.
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The latest legal insights and developments on the metaverse, NFTs, Web3, cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
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AIQ
Our quarterly AI newsletter provides analysis of key recent industry, legal and sector developments in AI with a focus on commercial technology, digital and data in the EU and UK.
Welcoming a new partner to our London financial services regulatory offering
by multiple authors
How to prepare guidelines for the use of AI in marketing
by Nick Harrison and Giles Crown
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4 of 6 Insights
EU AI Act - obligations on importers and distributors
Christian Frank and Debbie Heywood summarise the obligations on importers and distributors under the EU AI Act.
by Dr. Christian Frank, Licencié en droit (Paris II / Panthéon-Assas) and Debbie Heywood
6 of 6 Insights
Founded in 2001, BlackLine provides leading accounting automation software to more than 4,200 customers in 130 countries including Dominos Pizza, The Coca-Cola Company and Ebay.
Its solutions include financial close management, accounting automation, and intercompany governance, which help large enterprises and midsize companies do accounting work more efficiently, with more control.
As an innovation-focused company, BlackLine has always sought to implement technologies that can improve its services. Recognising the potential of AI, in 2020 it identified an M&A opportunity – AI-powered cloud platform Rimilia. Due to our extensive experience with emerging technologies and tech-focused transactions, BlackLine asked us to advise on this acquisition.
The $150m transaction drew on the expertise of practices across the firm, including:
By acquiring Rimilia, BlackLine expanded its capabilities by adding AI-powered accounts receivable automation to its accounting platform. It was a pleasure helping BlackLine progress its long-term plan to transform and modernise finance and accounting.
Empolis is a leading provider of cloud-based and AI-powered business intelligence and analytics software. It provides solutions to international public and private sector clients including BMW, Bosch and Vodafone, with 700,000 people using Empolis products every day.
Empolis has been recognised as one of the leading AI pioneers in Germany, and its AI capabilities have caught the attention of large organisations. It has collaborated with Amazon Web Services's Machine Learning Prototype team to embed generative AI capabilities into its smart decision support solutions, allowing users to easily obtain business-critical information.
In 2022, keen to add Empolis's leading intelligent service, knowledge and content management products to its portfolio, proALPHA acquired Empolis. Due to our reputation for advising leading tech companies, Empolis's shareholders/Empolis asked us to advise on this transaction.
It drew on the expertise of a number of our German practice and sector groups, including:
Through this acquisition proALPHA gained access to Empolis's state-of-the art AI technology, integrating Empolis's products into its ERP+ portfolio. Empolis has continued to act as a legally independent unit within the proAlpha Group, and together they're helping customers improve efficiency around the world.
Five AI is an autonomous driving start-up that builds self-driving software and development platforms to help create the technological foundations for autonomous driving. Autonomous vehicles are predicted to be a multibillion-dollar industry, and innovators with leading technology are attractive acquisition targets for larger automotive companies.
In 2022, Five AI found itself in this exact position when it was acquired by Bosch, one of the world's biggest mobility providers. To ensure this acquisition went smoothly, Five AI needed advice from a law firm with extensive experience delivering tech-focused transactions and a strong grasp of the key issues that come with the automotive sector.
Due to our reputation for delivering excellence in both, Five AI asked us to advise them on this transaction. It was led by experts in our Corporate team, with additional support provided by a range of our practices including:
With this acquisition Bosch improved its autonomous driving capabilities and has further consolidated its market position in software and automated driving. It was a pleasure to advise Five AI on this transaction, which now has access to Bosch's core technologies and vast data lakes which will be essential in bringing safe self-driving systems to market.
Learneo is a US-based provider of educational software solutions that develops and acquires breakthrough learning and productivity technologies. It operates six distinct businesses as part of its platform, including AI-powered writing companion QuillBot and AI-based mathematics resource Symbolab.
In May 2023, Learneo was looking to add another brand to its platform and asked us to advise on the acquisition of LanguageTool, a German-based multilingual writing platform.
A Taylor Wessing team led by our German M&A practice advised Learneo on all German aspects of the transaction, with support from colleagues in the US. The transaction required the expertise of a number of our practice groups including:
This acquisition allowed Learneo to expand its range of writing solutions, add LanguageTool's unique language and AI expertise to its business, and advance its larger international expansion strategy.