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Business Legal Services
Data Breaches & Incident Management
Effective issue management from our data protection specialists – protecting your business at a critical time.
When a data breach occurs, we’ll work quickly to help you minimise its financial and reputational impact. While we deal with the ICO and claimants, you can get on with the day-to-day running of your business.
Experts in data protection & privacy law
In addition to helping minimise the impact of a data breach, our team can assist you across all areas of data protection & privacy law, including:
How we can help: Efficient, cost-effective management of ICO complaints, data breaches and related incidents
Our data protection solicitors can step in when needed to provide essential guidance on data breach incident management. We can handle the following on your behalf:
Checking and verifying if a data breach has occurred.
Not every data breach needs to be reported. We’ll act proportionately to assess whether the breach presents a risk to an individual’s rights and advise on whether reporting is necessary.
ICO data breach reporting.
As soon as an incident comes to light, we’ll provide ICO with follow up information relating to the extent of the breach and the number of individuals affected.
Engaging with ICO staff to mitigate the fallout from the breach.
Notifying data subjects
Following discussion with the ICO we can assess whether there is a sufficiently high risk to data subjects to warrant notification.
Offering compensation
Or negotiating settlements with data subjects affected by the breach.
Reviewing your data protection procedures
As well as carrying out a data protection audit to prevent future breaches from happening. We can also develop new data breach response procedures for future use.
Provision of staff training
To highlight the importance of protecting your data from data breaches.
Guidance on data breach incident management
The extent to which a data breach ultimately affects your business will often depend on how you – or your external advisors – initially react to the breach.
Do you have a robust data breach crisis management plan in place?
If you don’t you should seek legal advice on how to address the possibility of regulatory intervention. If you or someone in the business discovers the breach you are required to provide details to the ICO within 72 hours. If, on the other hand someone has complained to the ICO about a breach you can expect to be contacted by the regulator and undergo some form of investigation depending on the severity of the breach.
When a breach occurs it is crucial to engage positively with the ICO. The compliance burden placed on business by GDPR is a heavy one. And in our experience the regulator recognises this. The ICO does not expect perfection. Indeed, when investigating complaints the ICO will often attach significant weight to the procedures a company has in place to meet GDPR compliance requirements.
In the course of their work on data protection breaches, our solicitors have built constructive working relationships with ICO staff. This gives us valuable insight into the way complaints are approached and incidents assessed.
What are the benefits of outsourcing data breach management procedures?
Objective advice
External guidance on data security breach management ensures an objective appraisal of the issues and effective engagement with the regulator where necessary.
Reduce business disruption
Outsourcing breach management enables you and your employees to concentrate on your core business, confident that the breach is being handled by specialist data protection advisors.
Access to expertise
You should expect external advisors on data breach management to have a wealth of experience in all areas of GDPR compliance. Many, like the team at Harper James, will have built collaborative relationships with key staff at the ICO enabling your case to be managed effectively.
Improve data protection policies
Following a data breach incident your external advisor will recommend how you can improve your data protection policies to prevent future breaches.
Who we help: Businesses facing ICO investigation
We help businesses that are being investigated by the ICO for breaches of data protection law. In addition we proactively engage with the regulator where a client company has discovered a breach internally and is unsure of the approach to take. We work with large and small enterprises across the country in a diverse range of sectors.
Testimonials
What our clients say
I've enjoyed working with Harper James Solicitors and we are in good shape thanks to their help.
Steve Dunlop
CEO,
A Million Ads
The extend service we get from Harper James allows us to combine their expertise with that of our own in-house counsel. It means we can get quick and trustworthy legal advice from specialists in every legal area, as and when we need it. There are no hidden extras and the service we have received has always demonstrated an awareness of our fast-moving commercial requirements.
Amelia Guilfoyle
Head of legal,
Zoopla
Harper James solicitors don’t speak in the legalese which I have heard too many times from other solicitors and which is totally unhelpful. What I’m after is focused, considered advice about the specific situations that I face. By which I mean, do you think this is a good idea? Their response might be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. One word is often all I’m looking for! My solicitor gives a view and I really value that.
Tom Davenport
MD & Co-Founder,
Alvius
My colleagues and I have found them to be adept at dealing with the variety of challenges facing early stage companies. They are a trusted source for sound, sensible advice and practical deal management.
Jill Shaw
CEO,
Anvil Semiconductors
Choosing Harper James was one of the best choices we made as a start-up. The firm has provided invaluable advice and insight throughout the early stages of our business.
Leigh Purnell
CEO,
Petalite
What attracted me to Harper James was the pricing model they have in place. It means we get access to top legal professionals at prices we can afford. In our most recent funding round, the support we received was vital.
Mikhil Raja
CEO,
SonicJobs
Harper James have become a vital part of our business. We get quality advice from experienced solicitors at prices that other firms do not appear to be able to match.
Veejay Lingiah
CEO,
Flash Sticks
Always great to have HJ on hand
Lucy Lam Po Tang
Head of Operations,
Kite Global Advisors
Very easy to work with, explain complex information in a clear and accessible manner. Spent the extra time to research and confirm all options and was very clear about the costs and confirmed before any commitment.
Martin Farrington
Director of Information Technology,
The Future Laboratory
Lillian is really helpful and clear in her communications. Her advice is pragmatic and she works in a timely manner, as well as having an approachable nature.
Janna Bates
Head of HR,
easyfundraising
Ease of use, a familiar legal team supporting my business who understand my business, and provide value for money.
Daniel Lawrence
CEO,
Bots For That Ltd
I've enjoyed working with Harper James Solicitors and we are in good shape thanks to their help.
Steve Dunlop
CEO,
A Million Ads
The extend service we get from Harper James allows us to combine their expertise with that of our own in-house counsel. It means we can get quick and trustworthy legal advice from specialists in every legal area, as and when we need it. There are no hidden extras and the service we have received has always demonstrated an awareness of our fast-moving commercial requirements.
Amelia Guilfoyle
Head of legal,
Zoopla
Harper James solicitors don’t speak in the legalese which I have heard too many times from other solicitors and which is totally unhelpful. What I’m after is focused, considered advice about the specific situations that I face. By which I mean, do you think this is a good idea? Their response might be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. One word is often all I’m looking for! My solicitor gives a view and I really value that.
Tom Davenport
MD & Co-Founder,
Alvius
My colleagues and I have found them to be adept at dealing with the variety of challenges facing early stage companies. They are a trusted source for sound, sensible advice and practical deal management.
Jill Shaw
CEO,
Anvil Semiconductors
Choosing Harper James was one of the best choices we made as a start-up. The firm has provided invaluable advice and insight throughout the early stages of our business.
Leigh Purnell
CEO,
Petalite
What attracted me to Harper James was the pricing model they have in place. It means we get access to top legal professionals at prices we can afford. In our most recent funding round, the support we received was vital.
Mikhil Raja
CEO,
SonicJobs
Harper James have become a vital part of our business. We get quality advice from experienced solicitors at prices that other firms do not appear to be able to match.
Veejay Lingiah
CEO,
Flash Sticks
Always great to have HJ on hand
Lucy Lam Po Tang
Head of Operations,
Kite Global Advisors
Very easy to work with, explain complex information in a clear and accessible manner. Spent the extra time to research and confirm all options and was very clear about the costs and confirmed before any commitment.
Martin Farrington
Director of Information Technology,
The Future Laboratory
Lillian is really helpful and clear in her communications. Her advice is pragmatic and she works in a timely manner, as well as having an approachable nature.
Janna Bates
Head of HR,
easyfundraising
Ease of use, a familiar legal team supporting my business who understand my business, and provide value for money.
Daniel Lawrence
CEO,
Bots For That Ltd
Why choose Harper James Solicitors?
We have a team-based approach so every client benefits from a real depth of expertise. We are also used to working with businesses of all sizes so we can offer a level of service that’s right for you. We’ve worked at some of the most prestigious law firms in the country as well as in industry so you can expect high quality, commercially astute advice at all times.
Find out more about the team here:
Pricing and service plans
Legal support designed
to fit your business needs
Our three transparent service plans are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:
Engage
Flexible access to senior solicitors at highly competitive rates
An alternative to our subscription plans, offering access to full service legal expertise on a project-by-project basis.
Enable
Purpose built legal support for start-ups and smaller businesses
Monthly subscription plan for £215 per month, with £145 monthly credit and access to all legal services at 50% discount on our Standard Rates.
Extend
Comprehensive legal partnership for established businesses
Fully account managed and scalable annual subscription plan with support from a curated team of partners and senior solicitors, with up to 34% discount on our Standard Rates.