Sam De Silva

Partner & Global Co-Head Commercial Practice Group at CMS

Speaker

Dr Sam De Silva is a Partner and Global Co-Head of the Commercial Practice Group at CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP. Sam specialises in complex and strategic technology and outsourcing projects including all forms of cloud computing (SaaS, PaaS and IaaS), outsourcing (IT, BPO and off-shoring), system development and supply, system integration, software licensing, support and service agreements. Sam also regularly advises on AI, data protection, privacy, cyber-security and PCI DSS 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 BSI Standards Makers Award in the category of “Representing the UK” for his leadership. In 2020 at the 11th annual CIR Risk Management Awards Sam was winner of the Risk Management Champion Award and at the Global Sourcing Association UK Awards for Best Practice in Strategic Sourcing 2021, Sam was the winner of the “Social Programme of the Year” category. In 2021 Sam was also the winner of the Governance Champion of the Year at The Chartered Governance Institute Awards. Sam is the Chair of the Legal Special Interest Group at the Institute of Risk Management (IRM).

Sam is passionate about diversity and inclusion and is one of the embRACE Partner Champions at CMS, is the inaugural Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Group of the Society for Computers & Law and 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.

As well as being a qualified English law solicitor, Sam is also a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia. He is recognised as a leading individual in the most recent edition of the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners directories. Sam is named in the Who’s Who of Information Technology 2024, Who’s Who of Data Privacy and Protection 2024, and the Who’s Who of Data Security 2024 as both a Global Leader and Thought Leader in those areas of law. Sam was also the winner of Lexology’s Client Choice Awards 2021 and 2024 for Data Privacy & Protection in the UK.