Clifford Chance
Devika Kornbacher is Co-Chair of Clifford Chance's Global Tech Group, a cross disciplinary team of 600+ lawyers globally advising on Tech risk and opportunity.
Devika is a technology and intellectual property lawyer who leverages her decades of experience across thousands of projects to assist clients in navigating emerging technologies such as AI and quantum computing.
She is an invaluable resource in technology commercialization efforts, providing comprehensive advice on the entire product lifecycle, including data monetization, cybersecurity, collaboration agreements, infrastructure agreements, license agreements, supply agreements, data sharing agreements, reseller arrangements, and software development.
As a frequent speaker and thought leader on responsible and trustworthy AI, she participates in and delivers insights from major global AI conferences and organizations including the 2025 Paris AI Summit, 2025 Asia Tech x Summit, and the US National AI Safety Institute Consortium.
Major news outlets such as the BBC and Financial Times reach out to Devika regularly for her deep knowledge of AI and other emerging technologiesworthy AI.
About the Tech Group
Integrated and dynamic, our Tech Group is a single global team delivering strategic tech law advice to help clients stay ahead of the curve and outstrip the pace of change.
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- Advised a professional sports league in contracts with major cloud and data infrastructure provider for multi-year, multi-million-dollar partnership for development and procurement of AI technology and services.
- Advised one of the largest charitable organizations in the US on a novel and unique collaboration relating to advancements in quantum computing and use in artificial intelligence.
- Advising on the impact of US trade and AI legislation in APAC, including implications on chip procurement and use for AI collaboration
- Advised a restaurant services company to develop and implement a robust AI governance framework, assessing their current AI capabilities, risks, and opportunities and providing recommendations for best practices, policies, and processes for AI across their business domains.
- Advised Taco Bell in drafting and negotiation of novel Development and Services Agreement with third-party for deployment of an AI conversational and interactive virtual voice assistant for automated "drive-thru" orders.
- Advised a major global automotive company on the implementation of the company's AI contracting strategy including preparing updates to Master Services Agreements and producing AI contractual attachments to mitigate privacy, AI, intellectual property, and commercial risks when procuring AI-related hardware and software from third parties.
- Advising on and creating a client's global AI oversight board, including making recommendations for constitution, terms of reference, decision-making and governance considerations considering global laws, regulations and best practices
- Designing and implementing AI transparency and risk management assessment frameworks, integrating industry best practices and legal considerations, including relating to intellectual property, data quality and provenance, privacy, and security
- Designing a global AI policy and legal hub, providing toolkits and contextually relevant AI risk assessment tools
- Preparing a company's global AI policy and AI ethics principles, aligning the companies use and contracting goals with AI laws and regulatory concepts
- Advising on the implementation and review of a high-risk AI and recruitment tool, including contractual, privacy and regulatory considerations
News and client work
Contact details
Career and qualifications
- University of Houston (B.S.C.E. cum laude) 1998
- Harvard Law School (J.D.) 2006
- Admitted as an attorney in Texas 2006
- Admitted as an attorney to United States Patent and Trademark Office 2007
- Admitted as an attorney in New York 2017
- Joined Clifford Chance 2022
Professional bodies
- Member: International Association of Privacy Professionals (CIPP-US)
- Texas Bar Foundation
- Houston Young Lawyers Foundation
- Texas Intellectual Property Law Foundation (Founding Member)
- Chair-Elect: State Bar of Texas Intellectual Property Section
Awards and citations
- Leading Dealmakers in America
Lawdragon 500 2025 - Recognized Lawyer
Legal 500 2025 : Technology Transactions – America - IP Stars (Legal Benchmarking Group)
Transactions Star 2024 – United States & Texas - Ranked as Leading Dealmakers
Lawdragon 500 2021 - 2025 : Technology Transactions - America - Ranked as "The Best Lawyers in America"
BL Rankings, LLC 2021 and 2022: Litigation–Intellectual Property - Houston
BL Rankings, LLC 2021 and 2022: Litigation–Patent - Houston - Ranked as Transaction Star and Top 250 Women in IP
IP Stars 2021-22 and 2025: Intellectual Property - Ranked by Chambers USA
Chambers USA 2025: Technology – New York
Chambers USA 2017–2021: Intellectual Property - Texas
Chambers USA 2021: Technology Transactions - Texas