Jacqueline Watts Emerging Technologies Lawyer

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT JACQUELINE WATTS EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES LAWYER

I work with forward-thinking businesses navigating the legal complexities of emerging technologies, combining deep legal expertise with commercial insight. As a strategic legal advisor, with over a decade in corporate and tech law, I bring clarity to complexity and help turn legal risk into competitive advantage.I thrive on supporting clients working on groundbreaking projects and future-facing transactions, often in legally complex or untested areas.My clients include startups, scaleups and multinationals operating in areas such as:Web3 and decentralised platformsMetaverse and immersive virtual worldsBlockchain and cryptoassetsArtificial intelligence and machine learningVR, AR, robotics, IoT, drones and autonomous vehiclesI am a solicitor with over ten years of experience advising businesses on commercial and corporate law. I regularly act on corporate matters including investment rounds from early stage to Series A and exit. I also advise on commercial contracts and strategies that allow tech-led businesses to innovate at pace while staying protected.I work closely with founders and multidisciplinary teams including tax and finance professionals, providing clear legal advice that fits the commercial context. I have also represented clients in high-value acquisitions, joint ventures and institutional investments, as well as complex dispute resolution matters.Author and Thought LeaderI am the author and general editor of Law in the Metaverse and Negotiating the Industrial Metaverse: a legal guide to Industry 4.0, both published by Bloomsbury Professional. I speak and write regularly on legal issues in emerging tech, with a focus on making complex subjects accessible and commercially relevant.Shortlisted for Women Leaders in Tech Law 2024 and 2025 ( Formerly known as the Women, Influence & Power in Law UK Awards now the Leadership, Influence & Inclusivity in Law Awards)Vice Chair of the Spatial Computing for Metaverse InitiativeMember of Innovate UK Immersive Tech Network Ethics GroupMember of the Metaverse Bar AssociationMember of the Working Groups for the global UN collaboration - United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative on Agentic AI for Cities and the Digital transformation for people-centred cities.Let’s connect if you’re building something ambitious in tech and want legal support that is clear, commercially aligned and future-ready. Law in the Metaverse – Bloomsbury Professional Navigating the Industrial Metaverse: a legal guide to Industry 4.0 – Bloomsbury Professional