Data Centre Development

Innovation

We have deep sector specific knowledge when it comes to data centre development. Our involvement in cutting edge projects and regular contact with our network of industry contacts helps us stay across current market trends and the procurement challenges facing data centre developers, both in the UK and internationally. This enables us to anticipate issues before they arise and formulate innovative solutions to assist our clients.

Competition Law

We advise data centre operators and investors on all aspects of competition law, including merger control, anti-competitive agreements, and abuse of dominance. Our team helps you navigate CMA and EU investigations, review commercial arrangements, and ensure compliance with competition rules in a rapidly consolidating sector.

Data

Our experts support data centres with data protection, privacy compliance, and cross-border data transfers. We help you manage GDPR obligations, respond to data breaches, and structure data-sharing agreements, ensuring your operations remain secure and compliant.

Intellectual Property

We protect your data centre’s innovations, from software and hardware to proprietary processes. Our team advises on IP strategy, licensing, and enforcement, helping you safeguard your assets and avoid infringement risks in a competitive market.

Technology

We provide commercial and regulatory advice on technology contracts, cloud services, and digital infrastructure. Our lawyers help you negotiate supplier agreements, manage outsourcing arrangements, and stay ahead of legal developments affecting data centre technology.

Real Estate

• Colt: Advising on the development of a data centre campus in West London, which when completed will be the largest continuous data centre campus in Europe.
• DC01 UK: Advising on the sale of their South Mimms site to Equinix. The site is 85 acres and has a projected investment value of £3.9 billion. The deal marked a landmark moment for the UK’s digital and data infrastructure sector.
• An innovation campus developer: Advising on the site assembly and development of a large scale, data centre-led innovation campus.

Employment

We have advised a client in the data centre business on its defence to claims of unfair dismissal, whistleblowing, and an alleged failure to inform and consult under TUPE.

We have recently advised a global household name on a DE&I and data protection project across 60 jurisdictions.

We act for an investment management client in coordinating and consolidating their pan-European data protection, internet and email policies, working across 15 European jurisdictions.

Dispute Resolution

Mishcon de Reya’s disputes team is well-versed in handling data centre issues, including contractual disagreements, cyber security incidents, and construction challenges. We also advise on insurance disputes, such as business interruption claims and coverage for outages. Our expertise ensures robust protection for your interests across all aspects of data centre operations.

Contractual disputes

Conflicts over service agreements, SLAs, or vendor contracts.

Data breach & security liability

Legal issues arising from cybersecurity incidents or unauthorized data access.

Construction & infrastructure project disputes

Issues with the building, upgrading, or maintenance of data centre facilities.

Insurance disputes

Business interruption claims, disputes over coverage for lost revenue due to data centre outages or downtime.

Corporate

We have deep sector specific knowledge when it comes to data centre development. Our involvement in cutting edge projects and regular contact with our network of industry contacts helps us stay across current market trends and the procurement challenges facing data centre developers, both in the UK and internationally. This enables us to anticipate issues before they arise and formulate innovative solutions to assist our clients.

• Acting on the acquisition and in relation to JV arrangements in respect of the QTS/Blackstone £20 billion AI/Hyperscale data centre campus in Blyth, Northumberland.
• Equinix: Advising on the real estate components of a US $1 billion initial hyperscale joint venture in relation to its data centre assets. Included agreeing standardised customer documentation for hyperscalers and advising in relation to the roll out of that documentation with several major hyperscalers.
• Equinix: Advising on the acquisition of a data centre company for £2.6 billion and subsequently on the separation and subsequent sale of eight assets in Europe for USD 875 million.
• Legal and General: Advising on Legal and General's initial acquisition of Kao Data and subsequent acquisitions by Kao.
• Colt: advising on the procurement strategy and construction documentation for a large-scale data centre campus development in West London, which when completed will be the largest continuous data campus in Europe. This included advice on the procurement and adoption of electricity distribution assets.
• Colt: advising on prime cost contract arrangements for Powergate following the original main contractor's insolvency. This included running workshops on cost plus contracting for the internal and external project delivery teams.
• Colt: advising on construction documentation and local partnering arrangements for the construction of a hyperscale data centre in Mumbai, India. This involved working closely with Mumbai counsel to conform FIDIC-based contracts to local law.
• Colt: supporting local counsel in advising on the procurement strategy and construction documentation for a pair of hyperscale data centre developments in Paris, France.
• Hyperco: advising on the procurement strategy and construction documentation for a 15+MW data centre development in Austria, which is pre-let to a US hyperscaler.
• Data centre developer: advising on the procurement strategy and construction and development agreements for a hyperscale data centre in Canning Town, including a district heating scheme that utilises recycled heat from the data centre.
• Serverfarm: advising on infrastructure upgrades and power capacity expansion at a London data centre in connection with a co-location mandate.
• Irish power company: providing strategic advice in connection with the construction of two data centres adjacent to a large power plant in County Dublin.
• An innovation campus developer: advising on the site assembly and development of a large scale, data centre led innovation campus.

ESG and Sustainability

Advised a commercial real estate developer on development and implementation of a governance framework to support achievement of sustainability goals for a major central London tower redevelopment. This included confirming priority issues and targets through a bespoke double materiality assessment aligned with European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).

Applied our regulatory diagnostic tools to help a UK real estate investor identify current and future UK and EU sustainability regulations, and voluntary best practice standards, relevant to the management of its London office portfolio.