Chris Kemp
Chris is recognised as “one of the UK’s leading software and data lawyers” (LexisNexis). He has extensive experience advising buyers and sellers of software, data and technology products, including specific “expertise in AI projects” (Legal 500, 2025).
Before joining Kemp IT Law, Chris practised as a corporate lawyer in the Public M&A team at Clifford Chance. At Kemp IT Law, Chris regularly advises clients on corporate and M&A matters and “adds corporate expertise to the team” (Legal 500, 2025).
Representative experience:
- Acting for a global industrials company on various software and data matters, including GDPR and other EU technology regulation
- Acting for a leading global supplier of software services to the global Air Transport Industry on various technology and data matters
- Acting for a global market and financial data vendor on data licensing matters
- Advising numerous UK and international law firms on technology procurement matters (e.g. PMS, DMS and other critical systems)
- Advising legal technology vendors on UK and European law firm deals
- Advising a leading global Microsoft partner, and other large technology implementation partners, on licensing and transactional matters
At Clifford Chance, Chris advised on numerous high-profile corporate transactions, including: Inmarsat PLC on its 2019 take private; Informa PLC on its acquisitions of UBM and Penton Information Services; Mondelez International on its acquisition of Chipita S.A.; Eni S.p.A. on the sale of its Ecuadorian oil and gas interests to PlusPetrol; and the Official Receiver and the Special Managers on the sale of British Steel to Jingye Group.
Market recognition
Industry recognition for Chris’ work in technology and data law:
Legal 500
IT & Telecoms 2026
“Pre-eminent in this area”
“Very proactive and responsive”
Recognised for “adding corporate expertise to the team”
“I mostly deal with Richard Kemp, Chris Kemp, Deirdre Moynihan, and Eleanor Hobson. All are extremely capable in their own fields and, collectively, provide a service that we are happy to recommend to our own clients, which is the highest praise I can give here.”
“A key member of the team”
“Very strong”
An experienced IT lawyer who “stands out for his involvement in AI projects”
“Extremely responsive, thorough and technically very strong. Yet also full of common sense and pragmatism. Nothing is too much trouble. A really nice person too, which is a big bonus”
Chambers
IT & Outsourcing 2026
"Chris brings a significant level of commercial awareness and vision. He is calm, considered and highly intelligent in his approach to representing his clients. He never lets a client down."
“Chris is responsive and provides good commercial advice – he works as an extension of our own in-house team.”
Up and Coming – 2026
Best Lawyers
2026
‘Ones to watch’ Information Technology Law
Recognised since 2023
Thomson Reuters’ Stand-out Lawyers
2026
“He is extremely bright, he's able to explain very complex issues in a simple way and he is very approachable."
“We have an established relationship and I find that he adjusts to the way we work and the needs of our organisation, he hones in on that and gives the relevant solution according to that knowledge”
“…because of the relationship that we’ve built with him, we trust his judgement. […] It’s a given that he is very bright, very competent and is an expert in his area of law, so just generally for us, it’s that trust.”
“We get more than just the bog-standard legal advice; it’s his steering that allows us to get to better commercial legal decisions as opposed to just the legal.”
Insights
Recent thought leadership from Chris:
