Call Now
Website
Call
Business Details
Expert IT and IP Legal Solutions in London
Hall Ellis Solicitors was founded by Leigh Ellis, a dual-qualified software engineer and expert IT lawyer in the UK. Our firm combines deep technical expertise with legal proficiency to address complex technology law challenges. We specialise in intellectual property, software licensing, business contracts, and dispute resolution within the tech sector. With a background in computer science and postgraduate qualifications in intellectual property law, we provide actionable legal advice tailored to technology-driven businesses.

Our approach prioritises clarity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, leveraging in-house software tools to streamline legal processes. We serve clients globally, offering transparent pricing and upfront cost estimates to build trust and long-term partnerships. Our clients include startups, enterprises, and organisations navigating the legal intricacies of IT, SaaS, AI, and open-source software.
Spire of St Brides Church, London St Paul's London, at dusk Main Entrance of St Brides Church, London Old Bailey, Central Criminal Courts, London St Brides Avenue, City of London
Services
IT Law Intellectual Property Software Licensing Contract Reviews Business Disputes Data Privacy SaaS Agreements Open Source Compliance IP Licensing Technology Contracts
Highlights and features
  • We combine technical expertise in software engineering with legal proficiency in IT law.
  • Our team provides straightforward, jargon-free legal advice aligned with business goals.
  • We use proprietary software tools to enhance efficiency and reduce legal costs.
  • Transparent pricing with upfront cost estimates for all services.
  • Proven track record in resolving complex technology disputes and contract negotiations.
What people say
Straightforward legal advice Deep technical understanding Cost-effective solutions Proven dispute resolution Transparent communication
Services
IT Law
We advise on legal issues related to information technology, including software development, cloud services, and AI. Our expertise covers compliance, data privacy, and contractual disputes. Clients benefit from our dual technical and legal knowledge, ensuring solutions that align with both industry standards and regulatory requirements. We help businesses navigate complex IT legal frameworks to minimise risks and protect digital assets.
Intellectual Property
Our IP services focus on safeguarding assets like patents, trademarks, and copyrights. We assist with licensing, enforcement, and dispute resolution. Clients receive strategic advice to commercialise IP effectively while avoiding infringement risks. Our approach combines legal precision with technical insight to maximise asset value and competitive advantage in technology-driven markets.
Software Licensing
We draft and review software licensing agreements to ensure clear rights and obligations. Services include compliance audits, open-source licensing advice, and dispute mitigation. Clients gain robust frameworks to protect revenue streams and prevent misuse of proprietary software, supported by our deep understanding of both legal and technical nuances.
Contract Reviews
We assess contracts for legal risks, clarity, and alignment with business objectives. Our reviews highlight hidden obligations, liability clauses, and IP terms. Clients receive actionable recommendations to strengthen agreements, avoid disputes, and ensure enforceability, particularly in technology and SaaS contracts.
Business Disputes
We specialise in resolving disputes involving IT contracts, IP infringement, and technology failures. Our strategies focus on early risk identification, negotiation, and litigation support. Clients benefit from cost-effective solutions to protect interests, minimise downtime, and achieve favourable outcomes in complex tech-related conflicts.
Questions
What areas of law does Hall Ellis Solicitors specialise in?
We focus on technology law, intellectual property, software licensing, business contracts, and dispute resolution for IT-driven businesses.
How do you handle complex software licensing agreements?
We review, draft, and negotiate licensing terms to protect your rights while addressing technical and commercial needs with precision.
Can you assist with international technology contracts?
Yes, we support clients globally, ensuring contracts comply with relevant jurisdictions and address cross-border legal challenges.
What is your approach to resolving IT disputes?
We prioritise early risk assessment, strategic negotiation, and litigation support tailored to technology-specific complexities and client goals.
Do you offer fixed-fee services?
While many matters require flexible pricing, we provide clear cost estimates upfront and strive for transparency in all engagements.
How do you ensure data privacy compliance in contracts?
We integrate GDPR and data protection requirements into agreements, addressing risks specific to cloud services, SaaS, and digital platforms.
Reviews (16)
Mike Parkin
Mar 15, 2022 Report
We needed the formal legal documents to protect our ecommerce agency business - for our business partners and for us. I didn't have the foggiest idea about commercial law at the time. I knew I couldn't do it myself. I could try, but the time it would have taken would have been too much and dragged out when I could take on our first customer. The contracts we received make sense to me, and my partners and with that the confidence that they're made for our business.

They set up the framework that we work within and can be used down the line with new customers. They save the worry that the business is properly protected. We had a really good experience with the solicitors. The advice we got was straight to the point. I got what I needed to hear, rather than what I wanted to hear. They were supportive in negotiations and I was able to bounce ideas of them on how I would go about closing the business.
Review
Jun 25, 2021 Report
Were an emerging player in the open-source hosting ecosystem. We had a critical situation arise in the community out of nowhere. We had to get ahead of the story so that we could manage our user base. We needed to know our legal position. We contacted these solicitors because they said they were experts in open source and understood the business. And they did. We received quick service which focussed on what we needed done. Highly recommended if you need legal help on the open source business.
Kirsty King
Jun 12, 2021 Report
I was running background support on a business dispute between some directors of a family company. The business had been doing really well, but performance and profitability declined year on year, when it shouldn't have been. After some investigations a dispute started to develop to a point that we needed to get some external support to make sure we weren't getting ourselves in trouble down the line, in what we were planning to do to right the wrong for the company and the family.

We started looking for some business disputes solicitors and came across hall ellis lawyers. It's almost as though they had been in the situation before. We found out what the legal grounds were to get us into a position to move it forward towards resolution and doing it quietly in the process without the fanfare or fuss.
Richard Evan Kingston
Apr 05, 2021 Report
We had a situation where we thought someone was doing the wrong thing by our company. Things had been happening over the years in bits and pieces, but no one really thought much about them at the time. After a few conversations amongst us, we decided that something just wasn't right. We made our mind up to look behind what we had been told. We found some things that shouldn't have happened, and the smell worsened.

We started taking steps to get to the bottom of what seems to be a pattern of bad behaviour over the years and get back for the company what it should have had in the first place. Then it occurred to us that we might need to speak to a solicitor to make sure we were on the right track and doing things the right way. We got hold of Leigh at Hall Ellis. It was clear that he'd handled cases like this before.

He knew what we needed to do, what we needed to get and where we needed to get it from. We've got a clear understanding of steps to take and where to go next to safeguard the business and right the wrongs that have come to pass.
Andy Mawe
Jan 20, 2021 Report
We are a small, high technology, design led company and were shocked and dismayed to be contacted by a solicitors firm alleging we were in breach of a software licence. After a brief study of the internet we realised this matter required professional guidance as there seemed to be a lot of horror stories out there, we knew it needed to be taken seriously, so we sought assistance from Leigh at Hall Ellis.

Within a short time he had guided us through the response required and helped us to draft a suitable answer. With Leighs guidance he was able give us some insight into the process, as they are specialist technology and intellectual property solicitors and know their subject intimately. With the responses crafted by Leigh we were able to resolve the situation amicably with no further action required. In short don't gamble, go to the experts and use their breadth of experience to resolve your business software issues quickly and efficiently.
Lisa H.
Dec 02, 2020 Report
I was aware that some new laws had come into play that were going to affect my business, but it was all a little confusing. A colleague referred me to Hall Ellis Solicitors. They were really helpful in providing me with some clarity, I received concise and understandable legal advice from them, just what you need when youre not legally minded. During our discussions I was advised of other risks that may potentially impact my business which I wasnt even aware of, this was the real value add. I would recommend Hall Ellis Solicitors and will certainly be using their services again should the need arise.
Katherine Lockwood
Jun 15, 2020 Report
I was recommended to consult Leigh after my relationship with my business partner turned sour a couple of years ago. It was one of the best decisions I ever made, and resulted in my business surviving and my sanity also. He assisted me in ending that business relationship on favourable terms through mediation, and since then he has also assisted me in protecting my intellectual property, and set up a process where I can sue clients myself if they don't pay me. Leigh is the guy you want on your side; I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Terry Johnston
Feb 14, 2020 Report
I was asked to provide some sort of draft contract to a potential client. This would be the beginning of a commercial arrangement. I wanted to structure the commercial terms, and needed a second opinion or someone to talk to who could help to do it. I needed someone who had experience with legally doing that. I have never really had a good experience with people legally. They rarely understand software, so it quickly becomes difficult to explain the issues I think I need to consider. Leigh seemed to know what he as on about.

We talked through different options and came up with a contract to licence the software that works for my business. Leigh also helped with handling questions from the customer, which were important for us to get right first time.
Craig Dixon
Feb 06, 2020 Report
I could see that I had a confrontation arising with a business contract I have. I wanted to be prepared for all eventualities. I got the advice that I asked for, in a simple language, with a quick turnaround. I found the advice and explanation of the structure of the contract incredibly useful and helped me consolidate my own thoughts to prepare for the storm, if it was going to arrive. I have a good idea about what I am going to do and how I am going to handle if the situation develops. Thank you Leigh
Wayne Beckett
Dec 12, 2019 Report
I needed some copyright advice on a pretty technical software application, to know how open source software interacts with data and software products, and the legal consequences of that. I wanted to avoid a copyright infringement claim. Previous tech solicitors I spoke to didnt have much of an idea about what I was talking about. Hall Ellis Solicitors didnt just know the law about it, they knew what was happening on a technical level and how that interacted with the law, and how the open source licences worked. Well pleased with the advice.
Peter Kidd
Oct 19, 2019 Report
We were sued out of the blue by a company that thought we were up to no good in a copyright infringement claim. I thought I needed an intellectual property lawyer. It turned out that the business needed an expert litigation lawyer and a contract lawyer to sort out the mess that the claimant had created. We ended up wiping the floor with them, walking away with monumental cost orders against a vexatious litigant.
Steve
Oct 17, 2019 Report
One of our clients made spurious claims against us suggesting that we had over charged them on a set of retail display units we had supplied them. As this was completely untrue we needed expert advice on how we prove this and sought the guidance of Leigh. He was a huge help in bringing this to a swift conclusion, we greatly appreciated Leighs expertise and no nonsense approach, a good sense of humour too!
Kay Trinnaman
Oct 04, 2019 Report
I recently contacted Hall Ellis Solicitors regarding a longstanding Contract dispute that I was finding particularly stressful. Leigh was very easy to work with and he delivered everything he promised and more.
Jeets Aulak
Sep 20, 2019 Report
So I was googling a contractual disagreement with a company, as we are a SME software company and needed software licensing advice. The company was trying fool us and say it owned the intellectual property rights in our software. Leigh gave us some super legal advice and set us up with a negotiating strategy to claim our software and get better terms on a support contract. I was so pleased with the result that I will be using him again in the future for our Ip issues
Stephanie Dominy
Feb 10, 2019 Report
Snyks product means that legal advice on open source software licenses is constantly required. I found myself having to field all sorts of enquiries from our development team requiring in depth expertise on OSS licensing, an area in which I am lacking. Leigh can do the translation from tech to legal, clarify the legal issues so that I can make recommendations to the business which are practical and commercial. Its very useful to have a lawyer on hand for software and tech legal advice.
George Frangeskou
I had complex Intellectual property claim against Boots . Leigh gave me clarity on the legals with the IP rights, where the problems would lie and what I could recover in damages.