Stephen Pearne

Having qualified as a solicitor in 1998, Stephen advises on a wide range of commercial matters and has focussed on commercial technology for over 15 years.

I was first immersed in the legal aspects of technology when I joined BT’s in-house legal team in 2002. At BT, I was involved in a wide range of commercial law work, but my involvement in the supplier contracts for BT’s ‘21^st Century Network’ is what really got me interested in technology.

I left BT to set up a boutique law firm, where we rode the wave of the rapid development of the internet to what we know it as today, and I helped clients with the terms and conditions and policies that they needed for their online businesses, platforms and mobile apps. I fondly remember queueing for the first iPhone and being amazed at what it could do.

Ever since then, technology has been a major part of my work. I’ve worked on agreements and terms and conditions for a wide range of technologies, including software-as-a-service solutions and other online platforms, software development agreements, end-user licence agreements, mobile app terms and conditions, and agreements with online video game platforms, to name just a few. My experience also extends into the life sciences sector, including agreements relating to protein synthesis and reagents databases.

Although he focusses on commercial technology, Stephen’s experience extends across a wide range of commercial law matters, and he is equally at home reviewing, drafting and negotiating supply and distribution agreements, services agreements, and standard terms and conditions, to name just a few.

Regardless of whether it’s a commercial or technology matter, Stephen brings knowledge and experience developed over 24 years of practice to whatever he’s working on.

I believe that the key benefit for clients of working with a specialist is that they will have seen most things more than once.  Experience and commercial sense is the added-value that experience brings to legal knowledge.

Stephen advises clients of all sizes, including start-ups and scale-ups, SMEs and substantial, established businesses.

One of the things I love best about my work is getting to know our clients and their businesses – no two are the same and my experience allows me to tailor my approach and advice to what each client needs.  The reward at the end of my work for a client is knowing that I’ve made a difference.

Stephen lives in Cheltenham with his wife and three children, and enjoys walking in the Cotswolds and tinkering with technology.