Four experts gathered at PL&B’s 36th Annual International Conference in Cambridge, to discuss the evolution of the data lawyer. Karishma Brahmbhatt (Counsel, Allen & Overy) chaired the session alongside Tina Maisonneuve (Chief Privacy Officer, Nokia), Bethany Rugen (Senior Legal Counsel, HSBC) and Mairead O’Reilly (Head of Legal Service, Legal Policy & Advice, ICO).

Data Lawyers as superheroes

Brahmbhatt opened the session by asking the panel if your role as a data lawyer was turned into a superhero power, what would it be and why?

O’Reilly described the data lawyer superpower as having a dual identity, pointing towards the Sandbox and Innovation Hub initiatives at the ICO (whereby companies can work with the ICO to develop products in line with data protection standards) requiring her role to take the identity of a regulator and a privacy consultant.