About Giles Pratt

Giles heads our intellectual property and technology group. He also co-heads our international data practice and the firm's tech transformation and AI initiatives, including our Freshfields TQ platform.

He is particularly active in the tech, media, consumer, automotive and financial institutions sectors, and specialises in cross-border IP, data privacy and cyber security, tech regulatory and commercial law.

He regularly advises on transactions involving valuable technology, content, brands and data, particularly in the context of international M&A, IP/tech-heavy carve-outs and JVs, restructuring, financing, licensing and other complex commercial and IP agreements. He also advises on IP risk management, including multi-jurisdictional brand protection and copyright infringement, and IP and antitrust issues.

Giles leads our London data practice, advising on the full range of legal issues relating to data, including IP protection and data privacy matters, particularly in the context of deals, crises, investigations, and new data uses and analytics including AI. He sits on the editorial board of Global Data Review, and is the editor and co-author of Global Data Review's Insight Handbook. He is also a member of the City of London Law Society Data Committee.

Giles' career has spanned Freshfields' offices in London, New York and Paris, and he has worked in-house (on secondment) as IP counsel for a global consumer products brand.

He speaks French and German as well as his native English.

Recent work

• Advising London Stock Exchange Group on its 10-year strategic partnership with Microsoft for next-generation data and analytics and cloud infrastructure solutions, for which Freshfields won at The Lawyer Awards.
• Advising Aston Martin on its strategic supply agreement with Lucid.
• Advising a leading West Coast hardware and software business on strategic technology and software acquisitions, including in relation to AI applications and semiconductors.
• Advising Tesco on the IP, technology and separation aspects of the multi-billion pound sales of its South Korean, Thai and Malaysian businesses.
• Advising a global fragrance and beauty house on its strategic long term exclusive licence of the Burberry brand for fragrances and make-up, winner of ‘Deal of the Year’ at the Luxury Law Summit 2017.
• Advising AB InBev on the IP, technology and separation aspects of multiple disposals, including of Peroni, Pilsner Urquell and its Australian business. The Freshfields IP team won Managing IP’s Firm of the Year 2017 (IP Transactional – Europe) for the first of those deals. Read more about the deal in our case study.
• Advising Mondelēz and DE Master Blenders on the brand- and technology-related aspects of contemplated disposals in the context of their $7bn merger.
• Advising London Stock Exchange Group on its £450m acquisition of Pearson’s stake in FTSE, and on acquisitions leading to the creation of FTSE Russell.
• Advising Japan Tobacco on IP-related disputes across the world, including in the UK Court of Appeal, relating to plain packaging of tobacco products.
• Advising a leading telecoms and media business on IP, net neutrality, data privacy and related issues regarding new online business models and copyright infringement.
• Advising a leading sports media business on complex IP licensing, broadcasting, sponsorship and other commercial arrangements.
• Advising Marriott on the global (ex-US) response to the Starwood data incident.
• Advising leading financial institutions, a global cyber security business, an international publisher and others on data breaches, including dealing with multiple regulators and affected individuals.
• Advising a leading financial institution on the data privacy aspects of a truly global investigation, including negotiating with a US regulator on its approach to data privacy across over 100 jurisdictions.

Recent conference presentations include:

• Privacy Law & Business International Conferences 2017 to present, including speaking on AI and managing data as an asset 
• M&A and Governance Forum 2020, Berkeley Centre for Law and Business - Securing the Future of the Internet, with Alex Stamos and Catherine Crump
• Abu Dhabi Digital Next Conference, December 2019 - Data privacy as a human right and digital currency; AI ethics
• WebSummit Corporate Innovation Summit, November 2019 - 'The secrets of successful innovation'
• Bloomberg Tech TV interview, May 2018
• Cambridge IP Law Summer School, 2017 to present - 'The International Nature of IP' and 'An Introduction to Intellectual Property Licensing and Transactions'
• Competition Law Association, 2016 – ‘BEPs and state aid: a shifting landscape for IP planning’