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Stone King acquires technology and media boutique Tacit Legal
Stone King said in an announcement on its website, published on 27 October 2026, that it had acquired Tacit Legal, a technology and media law boutique, in a move it said would significantly enhance the commercial services it can offer clients.
Key points
- Three partners from Tacit Legal, Aurelia Butler-Ball, Stuart Padgham and Dan Hedley, join Stone King’s commercial team.
- The partners said in a joint statement that they had launched Tacit in 2022.
- Ms Butler-Ball began her career in-house at Universal Music and was later a media and entertainment partner at Irwin Mitchell before co-founding Tacit.
- Mr Padgham and Mr Hedley worked at Clifford Chance for close to a decade between them before moving to Thomas Eggar and then Irwin Mitchell.
- Stone King said it has offices in Bath, Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, London and Manchester.
New expertise
According to the announcement, the incoming team adds substantial knowledge across commercial, technology, media and data protection law, with particular specialisms in intellectual property and artificial intelligence. Ms Butler-Ball advises business owners, content creators and other figures across the creative sector, drafting and negotiating high-value contracts and supporting clients in commercialising their intellectual property. Mr Padgham and Mr Hedley focus on technology and AI matters, acting for organisations ranging from small businesses to large multinationals on licensing, development, distribution and compliance work.
In a joint statement, the three said: “We have long admired Stone King and its commitment to making a meaningful difference, both through its own actions and those of the clients it represents.” They added that joining the firm, and tapping into its growth prospects, marked the start of a new chapter for them.
Wider growth
Stone King described the deal as part of a broader period of expansion it has undergone over the past two years while led by chief executive Vicky Brackett. It cited several other recent partner appointments, among them Laura McHugh, Clare Harris, James Fox and Bernard Ralph, alongside the appointment of its first IT director, Jas Bassi. The firm also said its Manchester office, one of its main regional bases, has moved to new premises almost three times the size of its previous site to accommodate a growing workforce. Stone King added that it had introduced a firm-wide innovation bonus scheme to reward staff for innovative ideas.
Ms Brackett said: “By joining with Tacit, we are better placed to respond to a growing demand from our clients for commercial advice, including on technology and AI strategies.”