Expertise

James has practiced in data protection since 2006 advising organisations in the private, public and third sectors on privacy issues. His experience includes managing global data protection compliance projects for multinational companies, providing advice on discrete data protection issues and advising companies that have suffered a data breach, as well as dealing with data subjects’ requests and advising on data protection impact assessments (DPIAs). He has also developed and delivered data protection audit and training programs to a wide variety of operators and leads the firm’s outsourced data protection officer service, ProDPO (https://prodpo.com/)

James is widely published in a variety of titles, a regular public speaker on data protection issues and wrote the text book on the GDPR for The Law Society.

Recent Experience

• Advising a US$14 BN multinational company on the data protection issues arising from a global HR system.
• Delivering a data protection audit and providing ongoing advice to a national construction and homebuilding company.
• Advising a US headquartered global relocation services provider on data protection matters.
• Advising a London Council on data sharing arrangements.
• Providing outsourced data protection officer (DPO) services to a European commercial bank.
• Developing and delivering an accredited Data Protection Officers training course to a European government.

Career History

James joined Wedlake Bell in May 2015 as a partner and head of data protection, from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwCLegal) cyber security and data protection team.

Prior to PwCLegal, James was a senior associate, specialising in data protection at Speechly Bircham.

After obtaining a degree in Law from Queen Mary University in London, he qualified at Japanese investment bank Mizuho International, in 2004. He also took a Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in London.

Publications

James regularly writes on data protection and has been published in a wide range of titles, including The Times, The Guardian, Spear’s Wealth, V3, Data Protection Law & Policy, Risk & Compliance and USLaw.

He frequently speaks on data protection and cyber security matters, including appearances on BBC News, LBC Radio, and at The Law Society.