Slaughter and May is set to offer free legal advice to up-and-coming UK tech entrepreneurs selected by a panel of experts including Autonomy co-founder Mike Lynch, as the magic circle firm looks to tap into the burgeoning startup market.

The firm is expecting to identify around 10 UK-based tech startups per year, with each successful candidate receiving £30,000 in free services including legal advice, access to model legal documentation and tailored coaching in areas such as pitching and presentations.

The companies will be selected by a panel led by Slaughters head of technology and outsourcing Rob Sumroy and financial services partner Ben Kingsley, alongside Lynch, Santander UK head of innovation Sigga Sigurdardottir, Trevor Callaghan, the GC of UK artificial intelligence company DeepMind Technologies, and Ophelia Brown, a partner at seed-focused venture capital fund LocalGlobe.