News

Mishcon de reya legal seminar on GDPR

17 Jan 2019

Over 50 CPA and WPA members attended this Mishcon de Reya legal seminar on GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): a business critical legislation package due to come into force on 25 May 2018. The event took place on 11 April and was kindly hosted by CBRE at their Henrietta House offices.

The speakers were:

  • Sharon Tan – Partner, Employment
  • Joe Hancock – Cyber Security Lead
  • Jon Baines – Data Protection

Jon Baines started the seminar by highlighting the post-Brexit relevance of GDPR and emphasising the need for businesses to commit to high standards of transparency and accountability in the course of handling personal data. He also touched on the subject of potential damages and fines that may arise due to improper handling of personal data and pointed to the significance of GDPR for businesses involved in direct marketing.

Sharon Tan explained upcoming legislation from the standpoint of employment law. In particular, she emphasised the need for employers to carry out employee data audits prior to 25 May 2018. She also strongly recommended that businesses prepare updated privacy notices for employees and job applicants, and provide training for all staff involved in handling personal data.

Joe Hancock finished the presentation by providing an overview of the cybersecurity aspect of upcoming regulations. He suggested that businesses should identify the most critical data they hold and make every effort to protect it. He also emphasised the need for transparency and readiness to respond to data breaches.

The presentation was followed by a lively Q&A session, which added considerable depth to the discussion and made it especially relevant for businesses involved in property and real estate transactions.

We would like to thank our partners CBRE, Mishcon de Reya and Proptech Insights for their support in organising this event.