Clive Gringras

CLIVE GRINGRAS is an international disputes and transactional technology and AI lawyer working with Global 100 companies. Clive is trusted by these companies on high-stakes matters ranging from first‑of‑a‑kind litigation to billion-dollar technology-rich cross-border transactions to first-impression AI disputes. He is particularly experienced representing very large tech companies in regulatory investigations and litigation. He is also a leading advisor for cybersecurity, data security, and related investigations and litigation.

Clive received Microsoft’s Law Firm Leader Award. With over 25 years of practicing experience, he is also a well-respected commentator. His book, Gringras: The Laws of the Internet, now in its seventh edition, is the only UK judicially acclaimed text on the subject. Clive co-wrote the bestselling computer game Elite for the ARM-based computer the Archimedes. Clive has been called to give evidence to four UK parliamentary inquiries on spam, information security, AI, and regulation of the internet. He is a Visiting Scholar at the University of Sheffield and has held appointments as a Visiting Professor at the University of Law and as a Visiting Associate at Oxford University’s Internet Institute.

Clive has received acknowledgement from numerous industry ranking guides, including most recently:

• Chambers UK 2026 – Spotlighted as one of only seven UK lawyers for UK-wide Artificial Intelligence, re-recognized for the second consecutive year as one of just eight partners in IT & Outsourcing: Disputes Specialists, and ranked for Information Technology & Outsourcing, where clients comment “Clive is exceptional. He offers excellent legal analysis capability and excellent soft skills as well. He is really commercially-minded,” and “Clive provides invaluable legal and commercial advice on all aspects of technology, services, strategic deals, and litigation.”
• Legal 500 UK 2026 – Re-recognized for the second consecutive year in the “Hall of Fame” for Technology, Media, and Telecoms, and recommended for Finance services: contentious.
  
• Chambers UK 2025– Ranked as one of only seven UK lawyers spotlighted for London IT & Outsourcing: Disputes Specialists, where sources say, “Clive is one of the most innovative lawyers I have ever met,” and that he has “great depth of technology and commercial acumen” and “brings a sophisticated and commercially oriented approach to highly complex transactions.”
• Chambers UK 2025 – Ranked for London Information Technology & Outsourcing, and UK-Wide Media & Entertainment: Games, Interactive Entertainment & Social Media, where he is praised as a “consummate technology lawyer, advising leading software, online marketplace and social media companies on all manner of commercial, regulatory, IP and data privacy matters.”
• Legal 500 UK 2026 – Recognized in the “Hall of Fame” for Technology, Media and Telecoms with the directory quoting a source as praising, “Clive Gringras stands out for his depth of experience in contentious and transactional matters involving technology clients, including Fortune 100 companies and US tech giants.”
• Chambers Global 2025 –Recognized as a Global Market Leader for Spotlight: Artificial Intelligence, where it was noted that “he has expertise in advising leading software, online marketplace and social media companies.”
• Best Lawyers 2021 – Awarded “Lawyer of the Year” for Technology in London.
  

Recent examples of Clive’s work include advising:

• Apollo-managed funds in their acquisition of a majority stake in Kelvion, a leading global provider of energy-efficient heat exchange and cooling solutions, from funds advised by Triton Partners.
• Stellex Capital Management LLC on the acquisition of the environmental technology business from Dürr Group.
• Foundation AI company on multiple confidential disputes, necessitating cross-border actions and litigation actions.
• A technology giant on over US$10 billion of cloud transactions, including on a US$2.8 billion deal with a major financial exchange.
• Numerous intellectual property actions for technology companies, including its copyright levy litigation throughout Europe and copyright, trademark infringement, and instrument of fraud cases.
• Hundreds of cybercrime actions for major technology companies.
• A global social media company on an investigation by the European Union’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network.
• A major technology company on the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into its consumer business.
• A games console company on the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into its games subscription business.
• A major real estate company on the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into the leasehold market.
• A global financial services company on an investigation by the European Union’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network.
• A number of online gaming companies on the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into their business.
• An online ticket marketplace on its dispute with the Competition and Markets Authority.
• A technology giant on the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into its consumer cloud offering.
• A major advertising network on the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into social media endorsements.

*Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.

• Chair of Technology Advisory Board, Our Future Health
• Founding Editorial Board Member, Computer and Telecommunications Law Review, Sweet & Maxwell
• Visiting Scholar, University of Sheffield

• Trustee, Alzheimer’s Research UK