Diversity and Inclusion

Dr Sam De Silva is a Partner and Global Co-Head of the Commercial Practice Group at CMS. Sam specialises in complex and strategic technology and outsourcing projects and regularly advises on AI, data protection, privacy and cyber-security issues. At an international level Sam is the former UK representative on the EU Commission’s Expert Group on Cloud Computing Contracts, the current UK representative on the IT Law Committee of the Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) and is on the Board of the Information Technology Law Association (iTechLaw). At the national level, he is the past Chair on the Law Society’s Technology and Law Committee, is on the AI Law Committee of the City of London Law Society and is on the Tech Faculty Board of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW). Sam is a former Trustee of The Chartered Institute for IT (BCS) and the current Chair of the Legal Specialist Group of the BCS.

Sam is an expert in legal risk management and was the Co-convenor on an ISO Working Group which led the development of the first ISO Standard on the Management of Legal Risk (ISO 31022) and in 2019 won a prestigious BSI Standards Makers Award for the category of “Representing the UK” for his work on developing ISO 31022. In 2020 at the 11th annual CIR Risk Management Awards Sam was judged winner of the Risk Management Champion Award and at the Global Sourcing Association UK Awards for Best Practice in Strategic Sourcing 2020/21 Sam’s work was recognised by being named winner of the ‘Social Programme of the Year’ category. Sam was also the winner of the Governance Champion of the Year at The Chartered Governance Institute Awards 2021.  Sam is named in the Who’s Who of Information Technology 2025, Who’s Who of Data Privacy and Protection 2025, and the Who’s Who of Data Security 2025 as both a Global Leader and Thought Leader in those areas of law. Sam was also the winner of Lexology’s Client Choice Awards in 2021, 2024 and 2025 for Data Privacy & Protection in the UK.

Sam is passionate about diversity and inclusion and is one of the embRACE Partner Champions at CMS and is the Chair of the Ethnic Solicitors Network of the Law Society. Sam was a finalist in the 2022 Chambers & Partners European Lawyer Awards for his outstanding contribution to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

An experienced commercial solicitor specialising in complex commercial projects, information technology, procurement and intellectual property.

With over 17 years of experience, as a legal advisor, practitioner, researcher, Anurag Bana has worked across jurisdictions, in the arena of International law and policy sector. He is an Indian qualified lawyer with a BCL from the University of Oxford. His work trajectory spans a judicial clerkship with a Supreme Court of India Judge, internships at international organizations including the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law and the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference. He has practiced in Indian law courts and worked briefly in the corporate sector with Skoda Auto in Czech Republic.

Anurag is an influencer and thought leader in the emerging areas of disruptive innovation, internet of things, digital assets and attorney-client privilege and confidentiality issues. He has published and presented several specialist papers on technology law related issues covering cyber security, blockchain technology, digital identity and social media laws. Anurag’s professional experience has enriched his holistic understanding of the dynamic nature of the legal landscape and its implications on the provision of access to justice. He firmly believes that the bedrock of technology law rests firmly on an ethical platform that encompasses diversity and inclusion, and for this there is a great need for jurisdictional capacity building.

A UCL LLB graduate and Information Technology Law alumna from the LSE, Lorraine has built a strong interest and expertise through working in Fintech and the Legaltech sectors.

Lorraine is interested in what the legal profession can do as a profession to ensure that law matches the pace of the ever-evolving Digital Society in particular in relation to the rule of law.

To this end, Lorraine is an Advisory Board member for the Society for Computers and Law, helping to educate and promote tech law to current legal professionals as well as a sector and career path that undergraduates and graduates can pursue.

Lorraine is also the founder of lifeofalondonlawstudent.com and @londonlawstudent over on Instagram. Here she offers mentoring through sharing her journey and about all things law, productivity and personal development.

Chris is a third seat trainee in the London office of Clifford Chance, currently on secondment to Amazon. Chris has completed seats in the firm’s technology advisory practice, litigation and dispute resolution (with a focus on white-collar crime).

Chris has previously worked in legal technology and operations roles at law firms Simmons & Simmons, Fenwick Elliott, as well as startups BRYTER, Josef and SYKE. He has also held data protection research assistant roles at Immuta, a data governance middleware SaaS platform, and the University of Southampton.

Prior to these roles, for many years, Chris was a freelance web developer, focused on full stack applications in Python (Django), PHP, backend JavaScript (Node, Sails), with a particular strength in CSS design and asset pipeline management.

Chris held a volunteer executive position at STRIVE, a city law access scheme.

Shobana is a practicing commercial barrister and arbitrator with expertise in technology and intellectual property. Her IT practice covers software and hardware procurement, outsourcing, supply and development, SaaS contracts, e-commerce, digital marketing, social media, telecommunications and data protection as well as the legal issues on the use of emerging technologies including artificial intelligence and blockchains. Shobana has extensive experience of working on challenging and technically complex cases, usually involving an international element and regularly deals with conflict of laws.

Nigel is the General Counsel for Bravura Solutions, an ASX-listed global fintech that powers the administration of the world’s leading financial services organisations. He is Bravura’s global leader for Diversity & Inclusiveness. Prior to joining Bravura in 2008, he was Director and Group General Counsel at DST Global Solutions and has held senior roles at GE Capital IT Solutions, Action Computers (a London-listed company) and Hertz Europe.

Rory O’Keeffe is the Founder of RMOK Legal, with extensive experience in international and domestic technology and business transformation deals. He combines top-tier law firm and in-house expertise, specialising in technology and outsourcing law, including AI, cybersecurity, and complex technology contracts.

Previously, Rory served as a Partner in a global law firm, and Senior Legal Counsel at a Fortune Global 500 company, managing high-value, multi-jurisdictional deals.

I&D has had Rory’s attention throughout his career, especially as I&D Lead for Corporate Functions at a global tech company, and ongoing work as a Charity Trustee.

Harry Small is a Senior Consultant in the IT/Commercial Department of Baker McKenzie’s London office and handles all aspects of information technology and communications law. He acts for a broad base of information technology and communications products and service providers — assisting them in their contract negotiations and managing their disputes. He also practises in contentious intellectual property law.

Harry is an SCL fellow, an honour awarded to a small group of leading IT lawyers who have made notable contributions to the field. He is the author of the standard outsourcing contract precedent in the Sweet and Maxwell Outsourcing Manual, and regularly writes and lectures on topics related to the Internet and computer networking law. Harry is a widely acknowledged champion of diversity and inclusion within the legal profession.

Tania is a partner in Commercial, Technology and Outsourcing at RPC. Prior to this she was at Deloitte Legal.Tania assists clients with sourcing and technology-based transactions, with a particular focus on large scale outsourcing projects, business process outsourcing and complex procurement.

Tania is focused on diversity and inclusion in the legal sector. Tania was vice-chair of Kemp Little’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee for a number of years, and is an active member of the Law Society’s London and South East and East D&I Forum.  Tania is proud to be a member of the SCL Diversity & Inclusion Group and helping to advance diversity within the profession.

Lorna Woods is Professor of Internet Law at the University of Essex and is a member of the Human Rights Centre there. She started her career in private practice, advising in the TMT sectors and has retained her interest in their regulation in her University teaching and research. Her most recent project, under the aegis of Carnegie UK Trust, has been on the reduction of harm arising on social media and her work in this area has been widely accepted by charities, NGOs and a range of Parliamentary select committees, and recognised by the award of an OBE for her services to internet safety policy. She is serving a second term as a member of the ESRC Peer Review College, is a member of the Digital Freedom Fund’s Panel of Experts, sits on the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) National User Group, advising the Surveillance Camera Commissioner, is a senior associate research fellow at the Information Law and Policy Centre, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London and a fellow of the Royal Society for Arts.