Richard Hanstock

About

Deeptech Legal is a boutique UK law firm advising technology companies on English law in national security and cyber regulation: UK strategic export controls and licensing, UK and EU sanctions, National Security and Investment Act (NSIA) notifications and clearances, the Investigatory Powers Act, UK cyber incident and network security regulation, UK GDPR and data protection, and AI governance. Clients are offensive security vendors, defence and dual-use manufacturers, space and AI companies, and their investors. The firm is typically instructed when an acquisition or investment needs UK national security clearance, when a security vendor needs to know whether its tooling requires a UK export licence, when a company has a UK data breach or contact from a UK regulator, when a counterparty or investor has UK sanctions exposure, or when a deeptech company is selling into UK government and defence. It was founded by Richard Hanstock, a barrister at Cornerstone Barristers called in 2012, who spent six years as a senior government lawyer in UK national security before private practice. He sits on the Attorney General's list of specialist regulatory advocates and has advised the FCDO on hundreds of sanctions designations, including under the cyber regime. Deeptech Legal takes the UK regulatory workstream alongside the client's existing counsel, rather than displacing them.

Practice Areas

Featured Clients

watchTowrUK Civil Service

Services

• Virtual in-house counsel

  I'll embed within your team, serving as your very own in-house lawyer. I'll provide expert advice and guidance on demand while taking ownership of agreed deliverables, holding regular catch-up meetings and developing a deep understanding of your business. This works really well for companies that have yet to invest in an in-house legal function, or which are looking to add specialist expertise to an existing in-house team.
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• Compliance review

  I'll carry out a review of your existing operations, identifying hidden legal risks and suggesting practical mitigations. I'll get to know your ways of working to ensure my recommendations are practical and achievable, working with you to devise policies and procedures that are flexible, durable and clear.
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• Discrete project

  Perhaps you'd like expert input on a specific concern, problem or document. I'll meet with you to understand the issue and the relevant context, returning a clear written advice, identifying potential mitigations and making practical recommendations.
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Work

• 
  Barrister

  Cornerstone Barristers

  Oct 2014 - Present
• 
  Senior Operational Lawyer

  UK Civil Service

  Oct 2018 - Jul 2024

Education

• University of Cambridge
  MPhil • 2012
• London School of Economics
  LLB • 2011