Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Platforms definition

What does Platforms mean? In legal and advisory practice, platforms are online investment administration systems used by advisers and clients to manage portfolios across multiple tax wrappers and products from a single interface. The term is descriptive (not statutory), though the FCA Glossary defines the related concept of a “platform service.” Usage is broadly consistent across England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; in Ireland, similar services are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Typical legal features include: custody via a nominee company (legal title held by the nominee; beneficial ownership with the client), dealing and settlement, consolidated reporting, rebalancing, model portfolios...

A Lawyers’ Guide to Designing, Running and Governing Hackathons: IP, Data Protection, AI, Open Source, T&Cs, Inclusion, Sponsorship, Partnerships and Post-Event Commercialisation

Published by a LexisNexis TMT expert

Practice notes

What is a hackathon?

A hackathon is usually a 12–48-hour sprint where multidisciplinary teams—coders, developers, strategists, data scientists, subject-matter specialists and innovators—work intensively to tackle a defined problem in a short window. The aim is to generate fresh concepts, tools or Platforms, often ending with a functional prototype or a concept pitch.

They trace their lineage to tech culture: the first officially recognised hackathon took place in 1999 in Calgary, though collaborative meet-ups go back to the 1970s with groups such as the Homebrew Computer Group, where the first Apple computer was unveiled.

Today, hackathons cut across many sectors and goals, and are not exclusively technology-focused. The author once ran an inspiring game jam—a game development focussed hackathon—designed to speed up cancer cures by turning cancer data analysis into gameplay, delivering scientifically robust outputs thanks to watertight algorithms.

Whatever the topic, the core principles and structure are largely consistent. In law, they are increasingly used to drive innovation, widen access to justice, and connect with legal tech; see, for instance, King’s hosts inaugural Legal Generative AI Hackathon. Events can be internal (within a company) or external...

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Web page updated on 22/05/2026

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