Simmons & Simmons

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

• Simmons & Simmons’ Artificial Intelligence practice stands out as a market-leading team combining regulatory depth with a strong, practical understanding of how AI solutions are developed and deployed within large, complex organizations. Its key differentiator is the seamless integration of AI regulation, data protection, and commercial considerations into advice that is both robust and immediately usable by in-house teams. A particular strength is the team’s handling of the rapidly evolving European AI regulatory framework, including the EU AI Act and its interaction with existing data protection regimes. Their advice is consistently pragmatic and grounded in operational reality, enabling organizations to implement compliant governance structures without hindering product development or innovation. Compared to other firms, Simmons & Simmons distinguishes itself through a clear focus on real-world use cases. The team demonstrates strong familiarity with generative AI and data-driven platforms and is able to translate complex legal requirements into concrete, implementable measures. This practical, solutions-driven approach is especially valuable for in-house legal, product, and governance teams working under time and business constraints. The practice also shows notable innovation in its delivery model, combining multidisciplinary expertise across jurisdictions with a flexible, client-centric approach. The team integrates seamlessly with internal stakeholders and adapts effectively to different levels of AI governance maturity, helping to drive alignment and accelerate decision-making on complex issues. Overall, Simmons & Simmons offers a compelling combination of regulatory expertise, technical credibility, and commercial pragmatism, positioning it as a trusted partner for organizations seeking to operationalize AI governance and manage legal risk in a fast-evolving environment.
• The individuals at Simmons & Simmons distinguish themselves as leading practitioners in the AI and data space, combining technical excellence with strong commercial judgment and a clear understanding of how AI-related issues arise in practice. What sets them apart from competitors is their ability to go beyond theoretical legal analysis and work closely with product, data, and governance teams, delivering advice that is both precise and immediately actionable. William Dunning stands out as a particularly strong practitioner, with an excellent ability to distill complex and evolving regulatory requirements—particularly in the European AI and data protection landscape—into clear, structured, and implementable guidance. He combines strategic vision with a pragmatic, hands-on approach, making him highly effective in fast-paced environments where legal input must be both robust and directly usable by the business. Devina Shah is also highly impressive, bringing a strong command of the intersection between AI regulation, data protection, and commercial considerations. She is particularly effective at identifying key risk areas early and providing pragmatic, solution-oriented recommendations that align with business priorities while maintaining a high level of legal rigor. Overall, both individuals stand out for their responsiveness, collaborative mindset, and ability to integrate seamlessly with in-house teams. Their adaptability to different governance frameworks and levels of AI maturity makes them highly effective partners for organizations operating at the intersection of innovation, regulation, and product development, and positions them among the leading individuals in this space.
• This team was one of the first to approach legal engineering as a serious discipline in its own right. They have therefore been perfectly placed to ride the AI wave. The great breadth and depth of knowledge and experience make this a standout AI team.
• Peter Lee and Drew Winlaw are veterans of the legal engineering scene and have a grasp of the business needs that can be served by AI that is second to none. Minesh Tanna must be one of the UK's most knowledgeable lawyers on AI regulation from a UK and EU perspective.
• Simmons & Simmons has, in the space of the last 5 years, catapulted itself into being one of the best-known and highest-rated law firms in the UK for AI. Led by Minesh Tanna and assisted by colleagues around the world, the firm has an exceptional level of industry knowledge.
• Peter Lee is a quietly authoritative guide on all things AI-related, from the implementation of use cases to AI governance, promoting trust and so on. Peter is a great connector with leaders in AI and is a thought leader himself. Ali Chaudry is a legal engineer who is one of the best communicators around on understanding AI, technology, possibilities, and managing risks.

Key clients

• Virgin Media 02
• BT Group

Work highlights

Lawyers

Hall of Fame

The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.

Minesh Tanna

Leading associates

Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.

William Dunning