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Freshfields TQ

Technology quotient - the ability of an individual, team or organization to harness the power of technology

Freshfields TQ

Technology quotient

We advise the world’s leading companies and investors on their tech deals, regulatory issues and risks.

Our teams excel at complex cross-border challenges, where our market-leading expertise in M&A, antitrust, data privacy/protection, governance, securities litigation, patent disputes, tax/state aid and investigations is a powerful source of competitive advantage.

Freshfields TQ is where we explore key issues at the intersection of technology and the law, offering insights and practical tips for big tech, investors, disruptors and digital transformers.

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Blogs

FCA publishes discussion paper on admissions and disclosures and the market abuse regime for cryptoassets

On 16 December 2024 the FCA published its much-anticipated Discussion Paper on (i) cryptoasset admissions and disclosures and (ii) the market abuse regime for cryptoassets (DP24/4). This is the first…

Author(s): Cyrus Pocha, Claire Harrop, Emma Probyn, Christine Simpson, Christopher Bernard, Noah Schmidt, Eden Elder

  • cryptocurrency
  • financial services
  • fintech
  • regulatory
  • regulatory framework

Digital Fairness Fitness Check Part 3: Personalisation - why is it considered problematic and what countermeasures may companies be facing?

Our blog series focusses on the European Commission’s Digital Fairness Fitness Check and a potential future Digital Fairness Act which may be on the horizon. In the second part of our series, we took…

Author(s): Tobias Timmann, Lutz Riede, Oliver Talhoff, Natalie Pettinger Kearney, Matthias Hofer, Nicolai Fornoff, Sophie Misra

  • eu digital fairness series
  • eu digital strategy

Harnessing Smart Data in the UK as a National Asset: What businesses need to know

On 23 October 2024 the UK government introduced the Data (Use and Access) Bill to Parliament (the DUAB). The DUAB is a wide-ranging and significant reform package with implications for all businesses…

Author(s): Giles Pratt, Rachael Annear, Tristan Lockwood, Adam Gillert, Hazel Ling

  • data
  • data protection
  • digital payment
  • e-commerce
  • energy and natural resources
  • financial institutions
  • fintech
  • gdpr
  • ico
  • innovation
  • regulatory
  • regulatory framework
  • telecommunications

AI Regulation Is Evolving Globally and Businesses Need to Keep Up

This article was first published on Bloomberg Law on 10 December 2024. Freshfields’ attorneys examine generative AI’s global impactCompanies must understand how regulators approach AI Artificial…

Author(s): Beth George, Giles Pratt, Lutz Riede

  • ai
  • data
  • eu ai act
  • global
  • regulatory
  • tech media and telecoms
  • us
  • intellectual property

UK reforms to Digital Verification laws: new opportunities for businesses

The Data (Use and Access) Bill (DUAB) proposes wide-ranging and significant reforms to the existing legislative framework around data in the UK.  One of the key proposals in the DUAB centres around…

Author(s): Adam Gillert, Claire Harrop, Cyrus Pocha, Katie Hyewon Sa, Rachael Annear, Tristan Lockwood

  • data
  • data protection
  • financial services
  • gdpr
  • ico
  • regulatory

The UK’s new approach to international data transfers: making international transfers easier?

On 23 October 2024, the UK government introduced the Data (Use and Access) Bill to Parliament (the DUAB). Our previous blog summarised the changes to the UK’s data protection framework that it will…

Author(s): Rachael Annear, Joseph Mason, Adam Gillert, Rhea Dennis

  • ai
  • data
  • data protection
  • europe
  • gdpr
  • governments and public sector
  • tech media and telecoms

EU AI Act unpacked #19: General-Purpose AI Code of Practice – an overview

As forecasted in our previous blog post, the AI Office published the ‘First Draft General-Purpose AI Code of Practice’ (the draft CoP) on 14 November 2024. The draft CoP specifies the obligations…

Author(s): Lutz Riede, Davide Borelli, Verena Kirchmair, Jan Niklas Di Fabio, Federico Cazzaniga, Victor Garcia Lopez, Federica Dominici

  • ai
  • eu ai act
  • eu ai act series

Digital Fairness Fitness Check Part II: Addictive Design and Gaming

Our blog series focusses on the European Commission’s Digital Fairness Fitness Check and a potential future Digital Fairness Act which may be on the horizon. The first part of our series provided a…

Author(s): Tobias Timmann, Lutz Riede, Natalie Pettinger Kearney, Oliver Talhoff, Matthias Hofer, Nicolai Fornoff

  • europe
  • eu digital fairness series
  • consumer

Email monitoring in Italy: Are employers ready for stricter rules after the latest Italian DPA’s decision?

Introduction A recent decision by the Italian Data Protection Authority (DPA) has underscored the challenges employers face when managing employee email accounts under Italian data protection law.…

Author(s): Davide Borelli, Matteo Tola, Giovanni Fabris, Isabella Oldani

  • data protection
  • data
  • employment
  • gdpr
  • investigations

The EU platform workers directive: effective as of 1 December 2024! What does this mean for platforms, companies more generally, and workers?

The EU Directive on improving working conditions in platform work, Directive (EU) 2024/2831 (Directive), was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 11 November 2024, and entered into force on…

Author(s): Raquel Flórez, Thomas Granetzny, Flavia Lang, Laura Llangozi, Hubertus Reinbach, Satya Staes Polet

DSA decoded #2: The art of scoping – which intermediary are you?

In this week’s edition of our ‘DSA decoded’ blog series, we take a look at the scope of the DSA and what services it applies to – the first question that providers need to ask to ensure compliance…

Author(s): Lutz Riede, Laura Knoke, Janet Kim, Tristan Lockwood, Lukas Müller

  • eu digital services act
  • eu digital strategy
  • europe
  • onlinesafety
  • platforms
  • regulatory
  • eu dsa decoded series

Regulating cryptoassets in the UK: a guide to the road ahead

Finally! Avid readers of Freshfields blogs might remember from our post last autumn that the UK government and financial regulators in October 2023 announced plans for a phased approach to…

Author(s): Cyrus Pocha, Claire Harrop, Christopher Bernard

  • blockchain
  • cryptocurrency
  • digital payment
  • fintech
  • uk
  • regulatory
  • financial institutions
  • fca
  • regulatory framework
  • the financial conduct authority

Transposition of press publisher’s rights into national law: A story of gold-plating?

Introduction Initially, the introduction of a new neighboring right for press publishers on the EU level through Article 15 Digital Single Markets Directive (the DSM Directive) attracted less (media)…

Author(s): Lutz Riede, Oliver Talhoff, Nicolai Fornoff, Verena Kirchmair

  • eu dsm directive
  • eu digital strategy
  • europe
  • intellectual property
  • media
  • platforms

More California Privacy Rules: California Agency Issues Proposed Regulations on Automated Decisionmaking, Cybersecurity Audits, and Risk Assessments

The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) has opened the public comment period on its long-awaited proposed regulations on automated decisionmaking technology (ADMT), cybersecurity audits,…

Author(s): Christine Lyon, Beth George, Megan Kayo, Nina Frant, Sean Quinn, Christine Chong, Madeline Cimino

  • cybersecurity
  • ai

Digital Fairness Fitness Check Part I: Dark Patterns

As we have discussed in our first blog, the European Commission (EC) published its long-awaited Digital Fairness Fitness Check report on 3 October 2024. The Digital Fairness Fitness Check aimed to…

Author(s): Tobias Timmann, Lutz Riede, Oliver Talhoff, Matthias Hofer, Yulianna Tkach

  • eu digital fairness series
  • consumer
  • europe

California Expands its Data Broker Rules in the B2C Context: Unpacking California’s New Delete Act Regulations

California’s Delete Act imposes landmark obligations on companies deemed to be “data brokers,” and the new regulations recently approved by the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) will…

Author(s): Christine Lyon, Nina Frant, Christine Chong, Jackson Myers

  • data privacy
  • cybersecurity
  • cyber

Cyber Resilience Act – How to implement the new cybersecurity rules for digital products

The Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) has become reality: it has been published in the Official Journal of the EU on 20 November 2024 and will enter into force on 10 December 2024. This new Act that is part…

Author(s): Theresa Ehlen, Lutz Riede, Christoph Werkmeister, Julia Utzerath, Christina Moellnitz, Jimena Gonzalez

  • eu cyber resilience act
  • eu digital strategy
  • cyber security

Your 3-month trial: Consultation on new UK rules for consumer subscriptions

For the next three months, the UK Government will consult on new rules for consumer subscription contracts, which are due to come into force in 2026 (see here). Addressing both cost-of-living issues…

Author(s): Daniel Wylde, Andrew Austin, Rikki Haria, Morag Elwis, Kate Collister

  • consumer
  • e-commerce
  • investigations
  • media
  • platforms
  • regulatory
  • regulatory framework
  • retail and consumer goods
  • social media
  • tech media and telecoms

EU AI Act unpacked #18: Protection of personal data under the AI Act

[You can find all episodes of our EU AI Act unpacked blog series by clicking here.] In this edition of our EU AI Act unpacked blog series, we take a look at the EU AI Act (AI Act) and its implication…

Author(s): Christoph Werkmeister, Philipp Roos, Hanna Hoffmann

  • ai
  • eu ai act
  • eu ai act series
  • eu digital strategy

DSA decoded #1: DSA Enforcement - key points

Our ‘DSA decoded’ blog series assists businesses in navigating the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), the novel EU regulation designed to create a safer and more transparent digital space.…

Author(s): Laura Knoke, Lutz Riede, Tobias Timmann, Janet Kim, Tristan Lockwood, Luca Mischensky, Juliana Heer

  • eu digital services act
  • eu digital strategy
  • europe
  • onlinesafety
  • platforms
  • regulatory
  • eu dsa decoded series
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Our tech experience

Cazoo

Representing Cazoo in $7B US De-SPAC

See press release.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Freshfields represents Hewlett Packard Enterprise in acquisition of Determined AI

See press release.

Marriott

Marriott on the international response to the Starwood database security incident.

WEX Inc

Advising WEX Inc in landmark Material Adverse Effect (MAE) litigation arising from COVID-19

Read our case study.

Zymergen

Freshfields serves as issuer’s counsel to Zymergen on its IPO on Nasdaq as a public benefit corporation valued in excess of $4bn

Read our case study.

Honeywell

Honeywell on combination of Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantum Computing

See press release.

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Meet the team

Natasha Good

Natasha Good
Partner

London

Dr. Lars Meyer
Partner | Global Co-Head of Tech, Media & Telecoms

Frankfurt am Main, Berlin

Giles Pratt
Partner

London
Rafique Bachour

Rafique Bachour
Global Managing Partner

Brussels

Boris Feldman
Partner and Global Co-Head of TMT Sector

Silicon Valley
Richard Bird

Richard Bird
Partner

Hong Kong

Sharon Malhi
Partner

London, Dublin
Laura Whiting

Laura Whiting
Partner

London, Dublin
Mena Kaplan

Menachem Kaplan
Partner

New York
Theresa Ehlen

Dr. Theresa Ehlen
Partner

Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main

Frank-Erich Hufnagel
Partner

Düsseldorf

Pamela L. Marcogliese
Head of US Transactions

New York, Silicon Valley

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