Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Ownership definition

What does Ownership mean? In legal practice, ownership describes who has the bundle of rights over property: to possess, use, enjoy income, exclude others, transfer, or charge it, subject to law and third‑party rights (such as easements/servitudes, leases and security interests). It is a descriptive expression used across contexts (land, goods, shares, intellectual property), rather than a single statutory definition, though related concepts are defined in legislation and case law (for example, beneficial ownership in anti‑money laundering/PSC regimes and land registration rules). Across England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, lawyers commonly distinguish legal ownership (title shown on a register, deed or share register) from...

Technology in UK M&A and corporate transactions: IT due diligence, IP/software licensing, transitional services, warranties and indemnities, price adjustments, and AI and data protection considerations

Published by a LexisNexis TMT expert

Practice notes

Corporate deals are a routine part of a solicitor’s work yet among the most demanding. Beyond the particularities of any purchase (including its configuration and price), legal teams examine every facet of the target’s operations, bargain for suitable safeguards for all participants, and arrange handover measures to ensure ownership passes smoothly for both parties. As a critical component of most enterprises, information technology sits at the heart of this exercise and must be considered throughout. Matters of data protection fall outside the scope of this Practice Note but should be taken into account where relevant. For links to guidance on data protection concerns that may surface during a corporate deal (including those tied to IT systems), refer to the section on Data protection considerations below.

How corporate transactions work

Typically, and for clarity, from a technology lawyer’s perspective, a corporate purchase can be viewed in three phases:

due diligence: information about the target is sought and examined to determine whether any material risk exists. There will be financial and commercial assessments alongside the legal review, and the overarching objective is to identify the target’s value and any contingent liabilities that are identified during this initial investigative stage carefully
negotiation: the...

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Web page updated on 27/05/2026

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