Shoosmiths LLP continually advises on a broad range of technology matters, including AI, blockchain, fintech, and wireless communication. Joe Stephenson leads the practice with a focus on large-scale IT procurement and outsourcing. Alex Kirkhope and Craig Armstrong remain key contacts for technology and commercial work. Recent hires include Kurt Ma in January 2025 and Mark Churchman in February 2025, while departures include Sam Tyfield and Victoria Bentley.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The team is fully dedicated.’

  • ‘The team we work with are knowledgeable, and leverage our precedents very well. It makes our work much easier and our deals run smoothly.’

  • ‘The Shoosmiths TMT team is simply excellent. Joe Stephenson and the other lawyers we have worked with have been technically excellent; but have marked themselves out for their practical knowledge of our market and the commercial considerations our business care about. Working with the team has been smooth and they make the hard stuff look easy.’

  • ‘Joe Stephenson is a technically excellent, experienced, and commercially focused lawyer.'

  • 'Very practical and pragmatic, the advice is always grounded in reality and informed by an insightful understanding of risk.'
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Key clients

  • ABN Amro
  • Amadeus Capital Partners Limited
  • Deliveroo
  • DTCP Growth Equity III SCSp SICAV-RAIF
  • Enzen Global Limited
  • Esteé Lauder Companies
  • Everway
  • Five Arrows Principal Investments III and Five Arrows Capital Partners
  • Hotelbeds
  • Lakestar
  • Motorway
  • Octopus Ventures

Work highlights

Advised Oracle on its provision of shared services to a cluster of UK Government departments, Oracle’s most significant project in EMEA impacting nearly half the UK’s civil service.
Acted as counsel for Dr Craig Wright, a well-known computer scientist who claims to be the creator of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin and author of the Bitcoin White Paper, acting under the pseudonym ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ (worth potentially billions in bitcoin value (confidential))
Advised on the multi-billion pound merger sale of Texthelp Group to n2y, forming edtech giant Everway.

Practice head

Joe Stephenson

Other key lawyers

Alex Kirkhope; Craig Armstrong; Kurt Ma; Mark Churchman