Experience
I am a Senior Associate in our Data Privacy Team. I have been advising on data protection law for over ten years and enjoy working with a wide range of clients in the charity, social enterprise and commercial sector.
I have written and contributed to several publications on data protection for not-for profit organisations including Data Protection for Fundraisers and Protecting data, protecting people CFG guide produced for third sector.
I was seconded as Head of Legal to Breast Cancer Now where I advised on a range of commercial and data protection issues. I spent six years as a trustee of a charity that does fantastic work to support girls and young women.
I advise on:
- data protection compliance related to fundraising including consent, profiling, data collection statements and electronic marketing
- regulatory investigations and enforcement action by the ICO
- agreements with processors
- complex data sharing arrangements
- data protection policies – external and internal
- international data transfers
- data protection audits
- subject access requests
- data security
Recent projects
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Advising charities on their response to regulatory investigations by the Information Commissioner
I have advised a number of clients on responding to investigations by the ICO. This has involved a forensic analysis of fundraising practices in some cases going back decades and extensive liaison with the ICO.
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Producing a sector wide guidance document on data protection for arts organisations
We produced a detailed user guide on data protection issues for arts organisations which contained practical guidance on a range of issues from profiling, data collection statements and data sharing with third parties.
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Conducting a data protection audit of an international human rights campaigning organisation
We carried out an extensive review of our client’s data protection practices - reviewing documents interviewing employees and testing IT databases across the organisation. We used the insights we gained to produce a detailed data protection report and a new bespoke data protection policy as well as advice and recommendations on a range of issues from sharing of personal data between related group companies (both charitable and non-charitable), the collection and storage of highly confidential special category personal data, data retention and international data transfers.
- Advising an international NGO on consent statements and compliance with Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations in the context of increased regulatory scrutiny by the ICO
- Advising on data protection compliance in the context of charity mergers and incorporations, including advice on the data protection components of due diligence, merger agreements and providing appropriate notifications to individuals post-transfer
- Drafting commercial participator and sponsorship agreements for a range of charities engaging in fundraising ventures with corporate supporters
- In-house legal training on data protection compliance for various clients including trade associations, schools and national health charities
- Preparation of Bates Wells’ response to consultations by the ICO and Fundraising Regulator on; data protection and journalism (which was successful in persuading the ICO to alter its guidance in favour of charity clients), profiling under the GDPR, privacy notices, the Fundraising Preference Service
Area of expertise:
Qualifications and career
- Girton College, University of Cambridge, BA (Hons) Law, 2002
- Nottingham Law School, Legal Practice Course, 2003
- Qualified as a solicitor at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, 2006
- Joined Bates Wells, 2007
Pro bono, memberships, and appointments
- Trustee of Girls Friendly Society
- Member of Charity Law Association
- Pro-bono advice to a range of start-up charities
Publications & Lectures
- Author of e-book, Data Protection for Fundraisers
- Legal editor of Protecting data, protecting people CFG guide produced for third sector
- Legal talks at DSC, Institute of Fundraising, Trade Associations Forum
- Various opinion pieces/ blogs in Civil Society on data protection and consumer contract legislation
Insights
