Expertise/Tech &
Digital
Tech & Digital
At the forefront of tech developments
Our Digital group consists of a multi-disciplinary team that focuses on global tech firms, significant digital platforms and other major players in data-heavy industries.
Our various expertise groups cover Digital Platforms, Fintech, Industrial Tech and Venture Capital and they work together to offer clients a well-rounded proposition covering various topics. These include strategic boardroom advice; data privacy & cybersecurity; mass claims; consumer protection; artificial intelligence; cryptocurrency, competition & regulation; intellectual property; media law; internal investigations; enforcement actions; foreign direct investment; M&A; and funding.
We understand the opportunities and the risks associated with the platform economy and help our digital clients to navigate this dynamic and fast-paced landscape.
Our recent track record, advising:
- Just Eat Takeaway in all M&A and competition aspects relating to its acquisition of Delivery Hero in Germany, its merger with Just Eat and its acquisition of Grubhub in the US.
- Salesforce as lead counsel in the first mass damage claim based on the new regulatory regimes for class actions under both EU privacy law and Dutch civil law. The claim vehicle was declared inadmissible by the District Court of Amsterdam.
- AirBnB in its defence against civil class actions in the Netherlands in relation to the alleged unlawful double charging of service costs.
- Booking.com in proceedings against German hotels in relation to price parity clauses.
- A leading sales platform in a global trademark dispute.
Contact
Helen Gornall
Partner
Tobias Cohen Jehoram
Partner
Axel Arnbak
Partner
Geert Potjewijd
Partner
Jaap Barneveld
Partner
Related expertise
Competition & RegulationData, Cyber & PrivacyFinancial Institutions & FintechVenture CapitalRecent Matters
6 June 2025
De Brauw advises Collibra on its acquisition of Raito
De Brauw advised Collibra B.V., a leading company in unified governance for data and AI, on its acquisition of the Belgian company Raito BV, which specializes in data access governance. Through this transaction, Collibra aims to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to unifying and automating data and AI governance for all data users across various data sources. This initiative is designed to help organizations accelerate their use of data and AI with confidence.
6 December 2024DataSnipper acquires AI-native document management platform UpLink
DataSnipper, the intelligent automation platform transforming audit and finance, successfully completed the acquisition of UpLink. UpLink is an AI-native document management platform designed for audit and accounting teams. Established in 2022, UpLink integrates advanced machine learning into the document workflow to automate and streamline the review of documents, dramatically speeding up processes that traditionally take hours or even days. This acquisition follows DataSnipper's recent USD 100 million Series B funding, led by Index Ventures, which valued DataSnipper at USD 1 billion.
6 December 2024De Brauw advises Parcom on its acquisition of Robin Radar
De Brauw advises Parcom on its acquisition of Robin Radar, a leading developer of radar systems specialised in detecting and tracking small flying objects.
Industrial Tech
Our Industrial Tech Group is a subset of our Digital group and consists of a multidisciplinary group that aims to consolidate our vast experience working for tech-heavy industrial clients with a focus on:
- Arbitration in tech-focused disputes
- Pan-European and cross border patent litigation in pharma, life sciences, telecoms and consumer goods markets
- UPC litigation with a focused cross expertise and international team
- IP contacting and licensing, joint ventures and IP heavy M&A
Our recent track record includes:
- Advising a client in the construction sector in major FRAND proceedings
- Representing a FMCG client in high stake litigation including questions of competition and patent law, resulting in a successful complaint before the French Competition Authority.
- Advising a technology client on the disentanglement of one of its major business units as well as advising on the sale of that division
Insights
28 February 2025
CJEU issues important decision on cross-border patent injunctions
On 25 February 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) answered preliminary questions in a long-awaited ruling
in a case between BSH Hausgeräte GmbH (BSH) and Electrolux AB (Electrolux). The ruling clarifies certain aspects regarding cross-border patent injunctions against defendants domiciled in an EU member state and seems to broaden the possibilities of cross-border injunctions.
28 February 2025Uber case: "external entrepreneurship" is fully relevant when defining a working relationship
On 21 February 2025, in a long-awaited ruling in preliminary proceedings, the Dutch Supreme Court delivered answers to the ongoing issue of how to assess the employment status of workers (in this case, Uber drivers). In its ruling, the Supreme Court confirmed once more that no hierarchy exists among the factors relevant in determining if a legal relationship qualifies as an employment agreement existing under article 7:610 Dutch Civil Code. These factors are set out in the Deliveroo ruling.
21 January 2025The UPC in 2024: five key decisions
2024 was a very productive year for the UPC. While many important and interesting decisions were handed down, we have selected five that we believe stand out the most.