European legal giant Fieldfisher to expand Manchester tech team

European law firm Fieldfisher is expanding its North West tech team in a bid to tackle the growing digital concerns that “continue to dominate clients’ thinking”.

The technology outsourcing and privacy team at the company’s office in Manchester is taking on new lawyers after increasing its headcount from zero to five in the last two years.

In recent months, Fieldfisher said its tech team has carried out client work for large organisations such as investment bank Citigroup, professional services firm Accenture and the BBC.

Sam Jardine, partner in Fieldfisher’s Manchester-based technology outsourcing and privacy team, said his colleagues have advised on robotic process automation software implementations, the use of drones and the impact of AI, among other technology and data issues.

He explained: “Fieldfisher has made a real push into Manchester recently and we are on the lookout for more quality hires after growing the specialist tech team from zero to five inside 24 months.

“The quality of the Fieldfisher brand, and the strong ‘tech DNA’ of the firm, means that we only hire the very best in class across all our offices.”

The firm’s clients, Sam explained, are grappling with more tech-related challenges than ever before.

He continued: “In just over a year’s time the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force. The increased fines – €20m or 4% of global turnover (whichever is highest) – for compliance failures mean data protection focus is now a standing board level agenda item for sophisticated clients.

“AI, robotics and other automation issues are themes that clients are confronting right now. Saying that, big data and the Internet of Things continue to dominate clients’ thinking. And there is the continuing wholesale movement of legacy systems into the cloud.”

In Manchester, Sam said more and more businesses are entering the tech scene.

He added: “The city region is flying right now, and is the fourth largest tech cluster in the UK and is worth £2.9bn to the economy. On top of this, 28% of the 50 fastest growing digital tech companies in the north are located in Manchester, according to GP Bullhound research.”

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