Consultant Legal Counsel
Gayle Smith
Gayle is an experienced in-house legal counsel with a career spanning multiple sectors, including IT consulting, media, banking, and industrial gases. She specialises in technology and data protection, with a particular focus on the intersection of these areas in the context of AI. Gayle thrives on working with scaling tech and Saas businesses, helping them establish and streamline their contracts and legal processes to support business growth. She also provides valuable support to overstretched in-house legal teams, offering clarity on complex legal issues and delivering practical, business-focused solutions.
Known for her problem-solving mindset and ability to navigate fast-paced commercial environments, Gayle excels at facilitating swift, effective deal-making. She brings deep experience in managing legal risk, budget and strategy within high-growth businesses. Her expertise also includes guiding companies through GDPR compliance and competition law challenges with confidence and clarity.
Useful to know:
Gayle’s idea of heaven is doing anything outside in the beautiful surroundings of North Devon, including running on the beach with her two rescue dogs and attempting to surf. She also has an MA in European Competition Law and is CIPP/E certified by the IAPP.
Worked with:
Gayle was Group Senior Legal Counsel for Belron in their Tech & Transformation Legal Team, she’s also worked with The Bank of New York Mellon in their EMEA Tech and IP team, was Head of Legal at Wynyard Group and in-house counsel at BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, Virgin Media and BOC. She has also worked with Depop, Waterlogic, Thrive Partners, Squirro and Prevalent AI.What Gayle's clients say:
I have worked with Gayle for several years and see her as someone who is key to enabling us to do business. She understands the issues that matter to us and tailors her advice accordingly. When it comes to negotiating, she is adept at getting us what we want whilst also keeping our customers and vendors happy. Her analytical mind and technical ability combined with her commercial approach and sense of humour make her a pleasure to work with.
