Ben Allgrove
Biography
Ben is a partner in Baker McKenzie's IP, Data and Technology team based in London. He is a much sought-after industry specialist, with a particular emphasis on digital media and intermediary platforms.
Ben is top ranked in the major directories. Legal 500 UK ranks Ben as a Leading Partner for both Artificial Intelligence and Media: Digital Content and Social and Chambers UK ranks him Band 1 for Media and Entertainment. Clients say of Ben that he "has a tremendous amount of experience advising tech and media companies, he is a star of the industry" (Chambers UK, Media & Entertainment, Band 1); is “creative, strategic” (Legal 500 UK, Artificial Intelligence, Leading Partner), "a star who knows copyright inside out" and who "is incredibly attuned to our business goals and IP risk, and has built a strong team which provides clear, pragmatic advice incorporating legal analysis as well as industry insights" (Chambers UK, Intellectual Property, Band 2); "is a real expert and has his finger on the pulse on legal developments. He understands the business and how we approach risk. He gave very practical advice and was unflappable in a particularly adversarial matter" (Chambers Global, Intellectual Property, Band 2); and that he "advising digital media and intermediary platform clients on a host of matters, including regulatory issues, digital commerce as well as digital and consumer disputes" (Legal 500, Media: Digital Content and Social, 2025, Tier 1). A Rhodes Scholar, Ben has twice been named in The Lawyer's "Hot 100" lawyers (in 2019 and 2012), along with being named E-Commerce Lawyer of the Year (UK) in the ILO Client Choice Awards 2011 and Assistant Solicitor of the Year in the British Legal Awards in 2009. He was named a "Change-Maker" in the Financial Times; European Legal Innovation Awards 2021 and is ranked by Managing Intellectual Property 2024 as a Copyright Star and a Transactions Star.
Ben is also Baker McKenzie's Chief Innovation Officer, in charge of the Firm's Reinvent innovation arm.
Practice Focus
Representative Legal Matters
- Advising leading platform providers on the application of major regulatory reforms, including the DSA, EU AI Act and UK Online Safety Bill, including providing policy support to those clients in their engagements with the EU Commission, Ofcom and other regulators and policymakers.
- Acting for TikTok in the UK Copyright Tribunal and subsequent arbitration in relation to a major copyright licensing dispute with ICE (PRS, GEMA, Stim) impacting music use by users on TikTok in over 100 countries.
- Acting for multiple intermediary platforms in relation to consumer investigations by the UK CMA and EU CPC.
- Acting for one of the world’s largest social media platforms and one of the world’s largest music streaming companies in the two largest music rate setting disputes in the UK in recent years.
- Advising on complex IP subsistence and ownership issues related to access to data for machine learning and the output of model training.
- Advising on one of the highest profile ever data protection regulatory investigations in the UK and globally.
- Advising a leading technology company on ethical frameworks for the deployment of artificial intelligence.
- Advising leading online social and gaming platforms on intermediary liability, third party rights and in-bound content licensing.
- Acting in landmark Meltwater and ITV v. TVCatchup Court of Appeal litigation in the UK Supreme Court and CJEU.
- Acting on the largest trade secrets case in motor sport history.
- Regularly advises on privacy and interception issues related to e-commerce, behaviourally targeted and location-based advertising.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Society for Computers & Law (SCL)
- Solicitors Association of Higher Court Advocates (SAHCA)
- Anglo-Australasian Lawyers Society (AALS)
Admissions
- England & Wales~United Kingdom (2005)
- New South Wales~Australia (2002)
- Federal Court of Australia~Australia (2002)
- South Australia~Australia (2002)
- High Court of Australia~Australia (2002)
Education
- Oxford University (2004)
- Oxford University (2003)
- University of Adelaide (2000)
- University of Adelaide (1999)
Languages
- English