Data Protection & Privacy Law
Service overview: Data protection solicitors
- Personal data is information you hold about living individuals (data subjects) who can be identified from that data or a combination of data. There is extra protection for sensitive personal data which includes information about racial or ethnic origin, physical and mental health and much more.
- The control and processing of personal data is regulated currently by the Data Protection Act, but the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on 25 May 2018. The Data Protection Act will mirror the GDPR for when the UK leaves the EU.
- Most data controllers will need to notify the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) annually before processing personal data.
- Breaching the Data Protection Act is a criminal offence for which individuals may be liable – and penalties will increase with the introduction of the GDPR.
- Our data protection solicitors can help you comply with current law including GDPR, and advise each time the law changes.
- Read our Data Protection FAQs for useful answers to common data protection questions.
What we do: Data protection & GDPR legal advice
As the owner of a growing business, protecting your company data is vital, alongside complying with strict new data protection regulations contained in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. And with the new ePrivacy Regulation coming into effect, your business will face even more regulatory burden. It’s important to be prepared.
Our data protection solicitors can advise you on a range of data protection law, from what is covered by data protection, preventing breaches and violations to who needs to register, and following the principles in the Data Protection Act 2018.
With the GDPR in full swing since 25 May 2018, you will need legal advice on your existing data and privacy processes to make sure you remain compliant with this new regulation.
We can provide an expert service, covering all data protection issues your business could encounter. Our service includes explaining and dealing with:
- Your obligations under the current Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR
- When you need to appoint a data protection officer and their duties of governance
- Data retention and when records should be destroyed
- Any registration processes
- Complaints made to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
- Formal enforcement action by the regulator (ICO)
- Data breach issues, including reporting
- Drafting data protection policies and processes
- Your data processing and sharing agreements
- Due diligence when appointing new business partners
- Subject access requests and the new subject rights under GDPR
- Buying and selling databases
- Electronic communications and marketing
- Data protection assessments and audits
- Your existing and potential websites and other digital user applications, including policies related to privacy, consent mechanisms, privacy dashboards, terms of use and cookies
- Data export issues with countries outside of Europe that do not provide “an adequate level of protection” under EU law, such as data transfer and international cloud computing
- Contractual agreements and data protection clauses to protect your business
- Conducting a data privacy impact assessment
- Staff training
- Your obligations over the handling of employee data, recruitment and monitoring practices
You can find out more about these data protection issues in our Data Protection FAQs.
We’ve also hosted a two-part webinar on data protection and GDPR, which you can watch recordings of in the videos below:
Who we help: Data protection for businesses
We’ve advised multiple businesses on their data protection requirements and drafted a range of documents to help manage these issues in the future. We work with businesses of every size, whether they are:
- data controllers, or
- data processors
As a business owner who may be a data controller or data processor, you can expect strict rules and expensive fines for failing to comply with guidelines set by data regulators such as the ICO. It’s important to remember that fines are no longer capped at £500,000.
Examples of our work
Why choose our data protection solicitors?
Our data protection solicitors promise to work with you and provide clear, jargon-free advice that allows you to manage your business while complying with various data protection rules. Additionally, some of our legal staff are member of the International Association of Privacy Individuals (IAPP).
With the regulation of personal data coming under increasing scrutiny, organisations can expect tighter rules and higher fines for non-compliance. In this technical area, we provide clear commercial advice that allows you to manage your business effectively, while remaining compliant.
The law around data protection is constantly adapting and changing, so we’ll also advise you on an ongoing basis regarding any new legislation or laws being introduced that could have an impact on your business.
Read our latest data protection posts in our advice centre.
Pricing plans
Our three transparent pricing packages are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:
City
Straightforward access to senior solicitors at a competitive rate.
An affordable solution for businesses needing one-off legal support. Receive ‘City’ partner-level expertise at a fraction of ‘City’ prices.
Enterprise
Have legal peace of mind for £189 per month with additional support from £99 per hour.
A monthly subscription legal support package specifically designed for start-ups and smaller businesses.
On-Demand
For businesses requiring 60+ hours of support a year, with prices equivalent to £99 per hour.
Fully account managed quarterly subscription service for businesses with more complex legal needs.
What our clients say
We pride ourselves on delivering an excellent service for clients, but don’t just take our word for it.
Harper James solicitors don’t speak in the legalese which I have heard too many times from other solicitors and which is totally unhelpful. What I’m after is focused, considered advice about the specific situations that I face. By which I mean, do you think this is a good idea? Their response might be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. One word is often all I’m looking for! My solicitor gives a view and I really value that.
Choosing Harper James was one of the best choices we made as a start-up. The firm has provided invaluable advice and insight throughout the early stages of our business.
The on-demand service we get from Harper James allows us to combine their expertise with that of our own in-house counsel. It means we can get quick and trustworthy legal advice from specialists in every legal area, as and when we need it. There are no hidden extras and the service we have received has always demonstrated an awareness of our fast-moving commercial requirements.
What attracted me to Harper James was the pricing model they have in place. It means we get access to top legal professionals at prices we can afford. In our most recent funding round, the support we received was vital.
Harper James have become a vital part of our business. We get quality advice from experienced solicitors at prices that other firms do not appear to be able to match.
Always great to have HJ on hand
My colleagues and I have found them to be adept at dealing with the variety of challenges facing early stage companies. They are a trusted source for sound, sensible advice and practical deal management.
The value for money and the service is 1st class and professional.
Harper James has been invaluable. They drafted the relevant agreements and gave us sound legal advice in an area that we did not have prior experience in. As a start-up, having advice and feedback from an organisation that specialises in early-stage enterprises was instrumental in us having the confidence to push forward with our product
