Experienced in advising on AI governance and regulatory compliance, the team at CMS is active across advisory, commercial and policy-driven mandates. Practice head John Buyers joined the team in August 2026, bringing extensive experience in EU AI Act and GDPR compliance, as well as licensing frameworks and royalty models. Matthew Bennett advises on AI contracting frameworks and EU AI Act guidance, while other team members contribute across governance, risk mapping and consultation work. The practice also handles AI-related copyright issues and transactional matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Charlie Kerrigan and Chris Glennie are proactive, pragmatic, and commercial.
- CMS’s Artificial Intelligence practice stands out for pairing technical fluency with deep legal and commercial expertise. We have benefited from advisers who are willing to engage with emerging technology rather than ignore it. We’ve been particularly impressed by CMS’s team's willingness to engage with technology to improve client service, reduce lead times, and improve efficiency when delivering corporate transactions. Their tech start-up programme supports an impressive range of start-ups and scale-ups with a level of support that is rare from a firm of this size and international reach.
- Charles Kerrigan is impressive and a genuine leader in the artificial intelligence space. He is one of the few lawyers who are actively engaging with new technology to drive improved outcomes across different practice areas. Anthony Waller is an expert in the technology investment space, demonstrating strong expertise in the venture capital and technology M&A sectors.
- The team has a combination of tax and legal expertise that enables comprehensive advice. The firm also offers deep discounts for well-funded start-ups, which takes the sting out of requesting ad hoc advice.
- Anthony Waller, Chris Wilkinson, and Alex Deacon-Viney are particularly responsive and thoughtful in responding to client requests. They provide clear directional advice after taking the time to understand our business and objectives.
- Lisa McClory (Of Counsel) is a fantastic member of the team who has deep expertise and experience not only within AI but also across a range of digital technologies, including digital and crypto assets and wider considerations when it comes to technology adoption. I have valued her in-depth analysis of contemporary issues and the ripple effects different technologies can have across the sector and to different stakeholders. Dr. Sam De Silva (Partner) is generous with his time and expertise, often sharing new opportunities and knowledge to build community and networks.
Key clients
- Accenture
- AI Whistleblower Initiative
- Aora
- Augur Initiative
- Callosum Technologies Limited
- CoMind Technologies Limited
- Crisp Inc
- FF Group
- Geniez AI
- Hiro Capital
- Holistic AI
- Limbic.ai
Work highlights
Advised Microsoft on the protection and management of its European patent portfolio, including the drafting and prosecution of patents covering breakthrough technologies.
Advised Holistic AI on technical, governance and regulatory matters relating to the development and deployment of its end‑to‑end AI governance, risk and compliance platform.
Advised Pineapple Technology Limited (incident.io) on its USD 62 million Series B fundraising, supporting the continued development and international growth of its AI‑powered incident management platform and AI agent technology.
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.
Practice head
John Buyers
Other key lawyers
Matthew Bennett; Anthony Waller