WHAT DO YOU DO?

As a senior GDPR consultant, and outsourced ‘virtual’ data protection officer (vDPO) for companies which do not wish to appoint their own internal DPO, I help clients with all their GDPR and other data protection needs: for example, assisting organisations of all sizes with their GDPR obligations such as conducting data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) and legitimate interests assessments (LIAs); and preparing privacy notices, data processing agreements and data sharing agreements. As a qualified lawyer of many years’ standing I can also draw on my extensive legal experience to answer clients’ questions quickly, which other consultants might need to take more time to research.

WHY DO YOU DO IT?

I get a lot of fulfilment out of helping clients to understand, by my use of practical, business-oriented language, some of the less readily-graspable and transparent aspects of the GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018 and other data protection (DP) laws and regulations – i.e. ‘defusing’ the reputation for being opaque, and even slightly intimidating, which DP unfortunately still has for many people. My legal background and training allow me to give authoritative and informed advice – even on obscure areas, or unusual applications, of the GDPR – for which clients can be immensely appreciative. And that gives me a great sense of achievement.

WHAT KIND OF SPECIAL PROJECTS HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN?

The most innovative and exciting project I have been involved in in recent years was producing the very first GDPR record of processing activities (ROPA) used by a Commonwealth Games, for the 2022 Games in Birmingham, when I was working as DPO for the Games Organising Committee (OC). I interviewed dozens of members of the wide range of back-office teams – e.g. IT, media, competitor and support team accreditation, health and testing – which need to cohere and collaborate to make a huge, global sporting event work. The ROPA document which we finally produced detailed 244 individual processes involving personal data. As a comparison, a ‘normal’ organisation’s ROPA would usually comprise about one tenth of that number of processes. The Games’ complex and comprehensive ROPA, aside from being a legal requirement, was of enormous value to the OC as a data risk identification and management tool, as well as an essential compliance and governance measure.

At URM, the most stimulating, challenging and rewarding work I am currently engaged on entails advising clients on the necessary clauses to be included in contracts for the supply of artificial intelligence (AI) products and services – not just the data protection components of such contracts, but other legal contractual provisions and protections as well. This is of very significant benefit to clients because AI law, and specifically the interface between AI and DP, is still in its infancy; and many clients (and indeed many of their suppliers who are offering them AI products and services for commercial gain!) are unaware of what needs to be in a contract for AI provision, and therefore rely on my advice to support them. It is also very satisfying for me to be involved in such a widely applicable and fast-developing area of the law.

WHATS ON TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST?

With URM having recently joined the Cooper Parry group, my priority professional ambition is to commence offering, as soon as possible, the very rare USP of being a fully qualified Scots lawyer, and one of the UK’s most experienced data protection specialists, to clients of CP. I am particularly keen to leverage my media (my first degree, before my law degree, was in Media), sports, intellectual property and contract drafting experience by advising clients in those sectors, and especially creative industry clients in Scotland, where I retain family ties and professional contacts. If CP does not have many such clients at present I would be delighted to assist the practice in developing this potential new revenue stream; as a former solicitor I am well versed in new client business development (BD) activities.

Topping my personal bucket list is for me and my wife Helen to visit a lot more of our favourite European country, Italy, over the coming years; we love Italian art and history, and it is a beautiful place – almost as beautiful as Scotland!