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Claire Archibald
Legal Director, Browne Jacobson
Claire Archibald, a Legal Director in our education team, specialises in data protection, freedom of information and AI governance. Having worked within a school and led a Local Authority DPO service for schools, Claire understands the sector's unique challenges and goals. Clients value Claire's blend of legal knowledge, project management experience, mediation and counselling skills, alongside her pragmatic, personable, and engaging approach.
Claire delivers support across three core tiers:
- Legal support: Expert and robust advice on all data law challenges, including handling Subject Access Requests (SARs), Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, managing data breaches, cyber-attacks, complaints, conducting DPIAs, information sharing, EdTech/AI risk assessment, records retention, and overall compliance.
- Developing culture: Collaborating with clients to build a proactive data and AI governance programme. Utilising audits and our Empower DPO service, she helps clients anticipate risks, embed lessons learned from past experiences, and develop a culture of continuous improvement.
- Innovation: Strategic advice for ambitious organisations focused on leveraging their data assets. She helps align data project ambitions with robust compliance frameworks, enabling institutions to responsibly unlock the power of data and drive innovation, with a particular focus on AI innovation.
A recognised authority in education data protection and records management (co-authoring the IRMS Toolkit for Schools), Claire's expertise is acknowledged by industry awards like the Picasso Europe Data Protection Champion, alongside specialist qualifications including the IAPP CPIM and AI Governance certifications.
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Conor Moran
Associate, Browne Jacobson
Conor is a data protection and commercial contracts associate in the firm’s commercial law team. Conor specialises in advising clients on regulatory compliance issues related to data privacy, and in drafting, negotiating and advising on various commercial contracts.
Conor trained and qualified as an associate at a top law firm in Ireland before moving to London in December 2023 to join Browne Jacobson.
Conor has significant experience advising tech, media and retail clients on data compliance programs, including advising clients on regulatory investigations, data breaches, privacy notices, international data transfers, transfer risk assessments, cookies compliance, direct marketing, data subject access requests, data protection impact assessments, legitimate interest assessments and artificial intelligence. He also advises clients on other aspects of tech regulation, including in relation to online safety compliance.
Conor also has extensive experience advising clients on agency, franchising, SaaS and outsourcing agreements, particularly in the tech and retail sectors. This also includes advising on consumer law issues related to consumer terms and conditions and advertising.
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Richard Nicholas
Partner, Browne Jacobson
Richard heads up the data, digital and sourcing teams in Birmingham. Recognised as a leading expert in technology law by Legal 500 and in Chambers and Partners, Richard advises on an array of matters including outsourcing, e-commerce, data protection and contracts. Richard advises on the adoption of new technologies, from development through procurement and implementation to support and resale.
Richard has worked with technology suppliers such as Vodafone, BT, Tech Data and NTT Data as well as their customers, including many of the UK’s largest retailers, banks, government departments and charities. His experience of negotiating on different sides of a transaction means that he’s well placed to anticipate and deal with issues that arise.
Richard also heads up Ascensus, our programme for in-house lawyers and business leaders, focusing on the needs of general counsel, DPOs and business owners. He has trained several hundred in-house lawyers and is a regular speaker at data and digital law events on topics such as dealing with a data breach, use of smart contracts, blockchain and NFTs. He has been interviewed on BBC Radio 4s ‘You and Yours’ and on local news on digital disruption and changes to data law.
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Stewart Dresner
Chief Executive, Privacy Laws & Business
Stewart graduated from the University of Lancaster in Politics and Marketing. In 1975 Stewart initiated research on Open Government at the UK Consumers’ Association. He then made an independent trip to the USA and Canada, meeting consumer advocates, politicians and journalists researching Freedom of Information (FoI) and privacy legislation. He had articles published in The Geographical Magazine, in 1977 on the use of the FoI Act by the Navajo Tribe of Arizona, and The Times in 1978 on the use of the FoI Act to improve car safety. In May 1980, the Outer Circle Policy Unit published his Open Government: Lessons from America. His career included consumer research and working for The Economist as a business journalist where he wrote occasionally on privacy laws and honed his skills as an investigator and writer.
He launched the Privacy Laws & Business Newsletter in February 1987. In October 1988 he organised PL&B’s first international conference. Stewart co-founded and chaired the UK’s Data Protection Forum, and has spoken at conferences around the world. He lives and works in Pinner, has a beautiful wife, who wrote this, and 3 adult sons.