SERVICE

Cybersecurity and data breaches

INTRODUCTION

Data and information are key business assets. Cyber attacks and data breaches are a dangerous, growing risk to all businesses and a threat to their operations. Such incidents can trigger a major crisis for any business, cause huge financial damage, knock down share prices and, in some instances, prove fatal to a business if not managed properly.

Our cyber crisis team advises clients in the eye of the storm, on an urgent basis, taking a multi-disciplinary approach. Composed of cyber, data protection, reputation and litigation experts, our team of lawyers offer specialist counsel, built upon considerable experience, to help manage any cyber and data crisis effectively, and to mitigate threats and minimise potential damage throughout the attack or breach timeline.

We also protect clients from legal claims or regulatory risk, where necessary using litigation to achieve our clients’ objectives, such as to recover losses or obtain compensation.

By combining our data privacy expertise with our extensive experience in the fields of reputation management and litigation, we provide a market-leading service.

The team also regularly and seamlessly works alongside other advisors such as a client’s own in-house legal team, cyber security consultants, breach response, risk intelligence and strategic communications specialists. As a result, we are very well connected in this space and can introduce clients to experts in those fields when needed.

We offer 24/7 coverage and urgent cyber and breach response advice on:

  • Online publication of data and information and take downs information
  • Taking urgent protective steps, such as obtaining High Court injunctions to protect information
  • Advising on legal and regulatory liability and exposure
  • Effective communications with the ICO and data subjects and notifications
  • Stakeholder management and communications to protect
  • Review of contractual obligations and notification
  • Data controller and processor relationships
  • Reputation management and other key relationships in the context of a dispute
  • Defending against complaints, threatened claims and litigation stakeholders
  • Actions against rogue employees and recovery of stolen data
  • Effectively dealing with the media and social media
  • Contentious subject access requests

Our team also advises on contentious subject access requests and offers pre-emptive training and advice to clients to increase cyber resilience and strengthen breach preparedness ahead of any attack, including training on data breaches and cyber breach simulation exercises to:

  • Test resilience and breach preparedness with reference to cyber crisis plan to identify strengths and weaknesses
  • Build team awareness around the short and longer team legal risks and regulatory duties and the benefits of legal privilege
  • Guide considerations on stakeholder mapping for protecting reputation to maintain trust
  • Educate on the competing timelines created during an attack and drive teamwork when reaching typical objectives

Our people

Get in touch

Partner

Michael Yates

Reputation management
Partner

Amy Bradbury

Reputation management
Associate

Nadia Ahmed

Data and cyber
Senior Associate

Elizabeth McClenan

Reputation management
Senior Associate

Hugo Tyrrell

Reputation management