Corporate Data Protection Solicitor

The Firm

Payne Hicks Beach is a 45 partner firm of solicitors based in offices at 10 New Square, Lincoln’s Inn.  In total the firm comprises about 200 staff.  The firm provides specialist legal services to private and commercial clients.  We are best known for our family and private client work and are widely regarded as one of the very best of the small number of firms in the UK who provide these specialist services at the highest level.  We also have an excellent reputation in many other areas of law (rated in both Chambers and Legal 500).

Our offices are located in one of the finest squares in London, a building which the firm has occupied since 1770.

More information about the departments and the work of the firm may be found on our website, the address of which is www.phb.co.uk

The Corporate Department

The Corporate Department comprises three Partners, one Senior Associate, two Associates and a Trainee. We act on a wide range of corporate transactions and commercial work, across a wide range of sectors. The bulk of our clients are private companies owned and run by HNWs, families and entrepreneurs, a number of them being very substantial multinational businesses, but we also act for some listed companies.

This UK GDPR/data protection role is within the Corporate Department, but would be supervised initially by Chris Weaver, who is a Partner in the Employment Department and who has been leading the firm’s offering in this area since May 2018. This is an opportunity for that right candidate, in time, to take up that role and to create a small team.

In addition to commercial clients of the Corporate Department, we have been providing UK GDPR/data protection advice across the firm’s entire client base – including to charities, landed estates and family offices.

The Role

Commercial experience required and the ability to work independently, including:

• Reviewing, drafting and advising upon privacy documents including Privacy Notices, Consent Forms, Records of Processing Activities, Privacy Standards / Data Protection Policies, Data Breach Policies, Data Retention Policies.
• Reviewing, drafting and advising upon Data Sharing Agreements (both controller to controller agreements and data processor agreements).
• Carrying out and advising on Legitimate Interest Assessment and Data Protection Impact Assessments.
• Advising in relation to data breaches, including reporting obligations to the ICO and affected data subjects, recording keeping requirements, remediation and mitigation strategies.
• Advising in relation to international transfers of data, including recent changes to Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and potential impact of the Data Reform Bill.
• Advising in relation to data subject access requests and the exercise of other data subject rights.
• Advising in relation to specific conditions for the processing of special category data and criminal conviction data under the Data Protection Act 2018 and appropriate safeguards for data subjects rights.
• Carrying out due diligence on UK GDPR compliance in relation to corporate transactions.
• Reviewing and advising on whether suppliers’ terms and conditions contain appropriate provisions as required under the UK GDPR relating to them acting as data processors.
• Advising in relation to derogations and exemptions from the UK GDPR e.g. legal privilege and the ‘disclosures required by law or made in connection with legal proceedings’ exemption.
• Advising in relation to the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), UK GDPR and electronic direct marketing.
• Drafting cookie policies.

The Individual

Personal skills

• At least 2 years’ experience advising on UK GDPR/data protection.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding and interest in data protection / privacy legal and practical issues.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail, with the ability to analyse significant volumes of information and so ensure that information presented to clients is of high quality, addresses the questions identified, is practical and consistent.
• Strong written communications skills, with the ability to operate within drafting and scope guidelines.
• Self-motivated and highly organised, with good IT skills.
• Flexibility, dedication and ambition.
• Practical, commercial approach.
• Ability to be proactive and reactive and work under pressure.
• Team player who engages effectively with people at every level.
• Ability to grasp complex issues quickly and apply technical legal knowledge to particular circumstances and requirements of clients.