Alex Shandro
Image of Alex Shandro

Alex Shandro

Partner

Email

alex.shandro@aoshearman.com

Phone

+44 20 3088 4594

Offices

London

V-CARD

Alex is widely recognised for his depth of expertise and leadership in the field of AI.

His expertise spans the full spectrum of intellectual property, data, cyber, contracting, and regulatory risks arising from the development and deployment of AI, as well as the many forms of contract by which businesses access and build AI. 

Alex leads our global AI advisory practice. The breadth of his AI practice combined with the depth of his understanding of AI technologies and the AI commercial and regulatory landscape means that he is highly sought after by clients. He is a trusted adviser on AI to some of the world’s largest companies, institutions and governments. His work includes innovative AI governance solutions for frontier AI use cases and the novel contract terms driving sector-wide transformation (from AI drug discovery to agentic commerce).

Alex's practice also extends to IP and data-rich transactions more widely (across all sectors), including licensing, partnerships, service agreements and collaborations. He also leads on the technology, IP and data aspects of M&A and growth capital investments.

Expertise

Industries

Experience

Representative matters

  • One of the world’s largest financial institutions on the design of first-of-its-kind governance for the roll-out of agentic AI avatars for customer service, including complex cross-border risk management and compliance. This is currently considered to be the largest measured agentic AI deployment in enterprise.
  • One of the world's largest retailers on their strategy to implement a diverse programme of agentic commerce solutions, including deal negotiations, governance and regulatory compliance.
  • A leading regional AI and infrastructure company on the design of, and regulatory and licensing requirements for, the integration of open weight AI models into a complicated system architecture.
  • Many of the world’s largest corporates and institutions on their AI strategies, AI governance frameworks and AI contract terms, spanning all sectors and a wide variety of AI use cases, including Board-level advice on frontier AI risks and governance.
  • DeepMind on multiple strategic collaborations and investments relating to pioneering AI technologies.
  • A leading social network on various matters related to AI including compliance with US and global regulations and regulatory requests across its subsidiaries.
  • An engineering and sporting powerhouse on all governance, compliance and contracting elements of its ambitious agentic AI roll-out.
  • GSK on its AI model licensing agreement and partnership with AI-native biotech Noetik.
  • Sierra AI on its AI platform service agreements with high value and regulated enterprise customers and strategic matters relating to product roll-outs.
  • A G20 sovereign in the design and implementation of its national AI strategy, regulatory benchmarking and approach to AI regulation, across all relevant legal areas including safety, ethics, privacy, cyber, IP, antitrust, labor and consumer duties.
  • Oakley Capital on the AI, technology, IP and data aspects of its divestment of AI legal tech company vLex to Clio.
  • Runna, leading AI-powered fitness application, on the AI, IP and technology aspects of its acquisition by Strava.
  • Funds raised by Apax Partners on the AI-specific, IP and technology aspects of their £700m acquisition of a data-rich consumer trends forecasting business. Alex led a strategic, forward-looking assessment of potential risks arising from the use of the target’s data to build generative AI models.
  • A multinational telecommunications company on the £34.5bn merger of Virgin Media and O2 and in particular the business-critical long-term technology service agreements between the merged business and each shareholder.

Pro bono

  • Advising the Clooney Foundation for Justice and the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice on all legal aspects of their design, development and global roll-out of a series of AI tools designed to increase access to justice. This is a truly pioneering project delivering enormous impact and requiring the navigation of novel legal issues. Alex leads a firmwide team that is delivering advice on tool design, liability management, compliance, contract terms, IP structuring, privacy and governance.

Speaking Engagements

  • Guest Speaker, Generative AI in Pharma, ACMA Council, March 2024
  • Panel Chair, AI and Data, TechBio, November 2023
  • Guest Speaker, Models for Technology Innovation, Nigeria Bar Association, June 2023

Awards

  • Shortlisted for Innovative Practitioner at FT Innovative Lawyer Awards 2025
     
  • Rising Star, Managing IP, 2022 & 2023

Qualifications

Admissions

Solicitor, England and Wales,  2012

Academic

BA (Double First), Modern History & Modern Languages, Keble College, Oxford University, 2007

Graduate Diploma in Law (Distinction), BPP, 2008

LPC (Distinction), The College Of Law, London, 2009 

Languages

English, French
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.