Artificial Intelligence Legal Services
Navigate the Evolving AI Legal Landscape with Clarity and Confidence
Expert Legal Support from the Jonathan Lea Network
As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies continue to revolutionise industries and redefine how businesses operate, the legal frameworks surrounding them grow more complex. At the Jonathan Lea Network, we are proud to be at the forefront of legal innovation, offering specialist AI legal services to developers, businesses, investors, and public bodies across the UK and internationally.
Our team brings together deep legal expertise with strong technological understanding, ensuring that clients receive practical, forward-looking advice tailored to the unique challenges of the AI sector. From early-stage ideation through to deployment, regulation, and dispute resolution, we support your AI journey every step of the way.
Our AI Legal Services
Our services span every key legal issue raised by AI technologies, with a strong emphasis on commercially sound solutions and risk mitigation. We work closely with stakeholders across the tech ecosystem to deliver contracts, compliance frameworks, and legal strategies that stand up to scrutiny and support sustainable growth.
AI Regulation & Compliance
We provide strategic legal guidance on the complex regulatory frameworks emerging around AI, including:
- The EU AI Act and its extraterritorial impact on UK-based businesses selling or supplying services in the EU. We help clients understand risk classifications, prohibited practices, and required safeguards.
- The UK Government’s pro-innovation AI framework, which encourages ethical innovation with sector-specific oversight. We interpret and implement evolving UK guidance for practical application.
- ICO and UK GDPR compliance, especially for AI systems processing personal data, profiling individuals, or making automated decisions.
- Mapping AI tools to risk categories and ensuring necessary obligations, such as transparency, monitoring, and human oversight, are properly addressed.
AI Contract Drafting & Negotiation
At the heart of every successful AI project is a well-structured contract. Our commercial team has in-depth experience drafting and negotiating the full range of AI-related legal agreements, including:
AI Development Agreements
We help define project scope, milestones, and deliverables. These agreements clarify intellectual property ownership in the AI system, datasets, and outputs, allocate liability for system performance and misuse, and ensure confidentiality and appropriate use of proprietary tools.
AI Licensing Agreements
We structure licensing models that grant tailored rights to use AI tools and software. This includes managing exclusivity, territorial scope, updates and support, and restrictions on reverse engineering or retraining.
AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) / Cloud Services Agreements
We advise on subscription models and usage-based pricing, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), uptime guarantees, and data processing terms that are GDPR-compliant.
Data Licensing & Data Sharing Agreements
We address data ownership, lawful access to datasets, anonymisation obligations, use restrictions (e.g., training vs. testing), and liability for data misuse.
Joint Venture & Collaboration Agreements
We structure co-development arrangements, managing contributions of IP, revenue/profit sharing, governance, and exit planning.
AI Procurement Agreements
We support businesses procuring third-party AI tools, focusing on performance benchmarks, support obligations, risk allocation, and training requirements.
Consulting & Professional Services Agreements
We draft agreements to engage AI consultants or service providers. Key terms include scope of work, deliverables, payment structure, and ownership of resulting IP.
End-User Licence Agreements (EULAs)
We prepare clear and enforceable EULAs for providers of AI tools. These cover user rights, data collection notices, limitations of liability, and acceptable use.
Model Hosting & API Access Agreements
We help manage terms of use for hosted AI models accessed via API, including rate limits, IP provisions, commercial pricing, and liability for third-party misuse.
Ethical AI & Responsible Use Addenda
We develop clauses that reflect your commitment to ethical AI. These include provisions on fairness, explainability, transparency, prohibited use cases, and alignment with evolving legislation and ESG goals.
AI Governance, Risk & Ethics
We assist clients in building trustworthy and legally compliant AI systems by advising on:
- Algorithmic transparency and decision auditability.
- Human-in-the-loop controls to reduce reliance on automated decisions.
- Internal AI governance frameworks and ethics policies.
- Bias detection, fairness, and non-discrimination strategies.
- Ensuring alignment with industry standards and future regulation.
Data Protection & AI
AI systems often process vast amounts of data, creating significant legal obligations under UK GDPR and similar regimes. We advise on:
- Lawful data sourcing for training, testing, and deployment.
- Anonymisation, pseudonymisation, and privacy-by-design implementation.
- Managing data subject rights (access, objection, erasure).
- Conducting Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs).
- Ensuring accountability and documentation in AI data processing activities.
Intellectual Property & AI-Created Works
AI blurs traditional boundaries in IP law. We help clients navigate:
- Ownership and protection of AI-generated content, including who may claim copyright in AI outputs.
- Licensing of training data, pre-trained models, and algorithmic IP.
- Protecting inventions through AI-related patent applications.
- Risk assessments for generative AI systems using third-party or open-source content.
Dispute Resolution & Regulatory Defence
When AI legal issues escalate, our experienced team is ready to defend and resolve:
- Claims involving algorithmic bias, discrimination, or automated decision-making.
- ICO investigations or enforcement actions related to unlawful data processing.
- IP infringement claims linked to AI-generated or derivative works.
- Breaches of AI licensing or API access agreements.
- Strategic resolution of contractual, ethical, or regulatory disputes.
Who We Help
Our AI legal services are designed for a wide range of clients, including:
- Tech Startups & Scaleups – building AI platforms or integrating external models.
- Large Enterprises – deploying AI across HR, customer service, logistics, marketing, and finance.
- Public Sector Bodies & Healthcare Providers – managing high-risk AI implementations in sensitive sectors.
- Investors & Venture Capital Firms – conducting legal due diligence on AI startups and platforms.
- Developers & Researchers – navigating licensing obligations, ethical requirements, and data sourcing.
Why Choose the Jonathan Lea Network?
- Specialist AI Legal Expertise – Our team stays ahead of legal and technological developments in the AI space.
- Proactive Regulatory Guidance – We anticipate legislative trends and help clients stay compliant without stalling progress.
- Commercially Focused Solutions – Every contract, policy, or negotiation is tailored to support your strategic objectives.
- Multidisciplinary Team – Our lawyers understand both legal frameworks and the technologies powering AI.
- Trusted by Innovators – We’re proud to work with many leading AI and tech ventures across the UK and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is AI-generated content protected by copyright?
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In the UK, copyright traditionally protects works created by human authors. AI-generated content without significant human contribution may not automatically attract copyright. However, if a person selects or arranges AI-generated content creatively, there may still be a claim to ownership. We advise on strategies to protect and commercialise AI outputs effectively.
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What are the legal risks of using open-source AI models?
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Using open-source models can introduce risk if licence terms are misunderstood or overlooked. These licences may restrict commercial use, require attribution, or demand that derivative works be open-sourced. We help clients conduct licence audits and structure usage in ways that protect proprietary developments.
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Can we use third-party data to train our AI model?
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Only if you have the right to do so. Training an AI model on data without proper licences or data subject consent can lead to breaches of copyright or data protection law. Our team can help secure the necessary permissions or advise on lawful alternatives like data anonymisation.
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How does the EU AI Act affect UK companies?
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Even though the UK is outside the EU, the EU AI Act applies to UK-based companies offering AI systems or services to EU users. This means you may need to comply with its classification system, documentation requirements, and transparency obligations. We help ensure cross-border compliance while supporting your business expansion.
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Do we need an AI ethics policy?
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Yes. An internal ethics policy demonstrates your commitment to responsible AI use and helps you stay aligned with stakeholder expectations and evolving regulatory standards. It can also guide product development, staff training, and risk management practices.
Let’s Talk AI Law
Whether you’re developing, deploying, or investing in AI, having the right legal partner is essential to protect your innovation and secure long-term success.
Contact the Jonathan Lea Network today for expert, tailored guidance that reflects the latest legal, commercial, and ethical considerations in AI.
Call us on 01444 708 640
Or email us at wewillhelp@jonathanlea.net
Let us help you build and scale your AI project — safely, ethically, and successfully.
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