Ben Leigh

Associate

London
ben.leigh@lw.com
+44.20.7866.2715

PRACTICES

  • Digital Assets & Web3
  • Privacy & Cyber
  • Technology Transactions

INDUSTRIES

  • Technology

BAR QUALIFICATIONS

  • England and Wales (Solicitor)

EDUCATION

  • GDL, BPP Law School,
  • LPC, BPP Law School,
  • BSc, University of Bristol,

PROFILE

Ben Leigh is an associate in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Data & Technology Transactions Practice.

Ben advises clients on a range of matters, including those requiring advice related to data privacy, intellectual property, artificial intelligence, commercial contracts, licensing, online platform regulation, fintech, and web3.

Ben maintains an active pro bono practice representing charities and vulnerable individuals.

Prior to joining Latham, Ben was a generative AI research assistant to the Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford.

EXPERIENCE

Ben’s representative transactions include advising:

Technology Transactions

  • Canva, on its acquisition of Affinity, an award-winning creative software suite.
  • Yellow Wood Partners, on the carve-out of Elida Beauty, a portfolio of brands from Unilever.
  • An international payments provider, on its investment into a mobile payments platform operated in Africa.
  • AllianceBernstein, a leading global investment management and research firm, on the formation of its joint venture with Société Générale.
  • TWG Global and Billie Jean King Enterprises, in a joint venture with the International Tennis Federation, to create a new partnership for the Billie Jean King Cup.
  • Urbaser, a world leader in environmental solutions owned by Platinum Equity, on the sale of its Nordic business.
  • Farfetch, a leading global marketplace for the luxury fashion industry, on its sale to Coupang and Greenoaks.
  • Patria, on the carve-out of a private equity solutions business from abrdn.

Artificial Intelligence and Data Protection

  • A leading global communications provider, on compliance with the EU AI Act.
  • A leading US-based video gen-AI startup, on data protection compliance.
  • A leading US-based search gen-AI startup, on data protection compliance.
  • A leading US-based social media company, on data protection compliance in the context of developing of AI.
  • A leading US-based hardware provider, on compliance with the EU AI Act.
  • An international payments provider, on the launch of its services globally, on data protection compliance.
  • Various investment funds, on data protection compliance.

Venture Capital

  • A leading VC firm, on its series C funding of a gen-AI conversational platform.
  • 8VC, on its series A funding of iComat, a developer of advanced structures for the aerospace and automotive industries.
  • L Catterton, on its growth investment into Irene Forte Skincare, a luxury skincare brand.
  • L Catterton, on its acquisition of Value Retail, creator and operator of luxury shopping destinations.
  • a16z, on its series A funding of Gensyn Limited, a blockchain-based marketplace protocol for AI platforms.