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Data Protection & Privacy

Protecting your privacy and data

Our privacy and data protection team understand the need for clients to be able to use and protect their data while still meeting their legal obligations. They are experts in dealing with privacy compliance, cyberattacks, requests for personal information and privacy and data breaches. Our litigators also provide strong advocacy in the face of complex privacy matters, whether engaging with regulators, seeking injunctions in the High Court or appearing before the Human Rights Revenue Tribunal.

We have some of New Zealand's recognised leading privacy and data experts who deal with mission critical privacy and data issues every day and who are well versed in New Zealand's Privacy Act.

As part of their contribution to a better understanding of privacy related issues, our experts release frequent updates through our Insights section. Subscribe here to keep up to date.

Expertise

  • The Privacy Act 2020.
  • GDPR.
  • Data breaches.
  • Cybersecurity and cyberattacks.
  • Appearing in court proceedings, including seeking and defending injunctions and Human Rights Revenue Tribunal hearings, relating to privacy and data issues.
  • Guidance on how to use data to meet commercial outcomes while remaining compliant with New Zealand's privacy laws.
  • Privacy audits and implementing privacy compliance programmes.
  • Inquiries involving the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
  • Development of data protection strategies and frameworks, including privacy by design.
  • Drafting of privacy policies.
  • Engaging with a range of regulators on privacy and data related matters.
  • Offshoring of data collected in New Zealand.
  • Data aggregation and consents.

Experience

Much of the privacy-related work we undertake for our clients is confidential. However, some of our recent work has included:

  • Acting for a nationally significant online retail platform in relation to an Office of the Privacy Commissioner inquiry.
  • Acting for a large media company on its appeal to the High Court following a finding by the Broadcasting Standards Authority that it had breached an individual's privacy.
  • Acting for financial institutions and FMCG companies following high profile cyberattacks.
  • Acting for a large company in relation to a data breach where personal information was disclosed.
  • Acting for a public sector client in significant and complex privacy and discrimination law proceedings.
  • Representation of the Director of Human Rights Proceedings in Privacy Act-related judicial review related proceedings (Henderson v Privacy Commissioner).

Awards & Recognition

Our Data Protection and Privacy team is ranked 'Tier 1' for Data Protection and 'Tier 2' for Intellectual Property in the Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022 guide. Partner Joe Edwards was recognised as 'Lawyer of the Year' for Privacy and Data Security Lawyer by Best Lawyers 2021, and a 'Leading Individual' for Data Protection by the Legal 500, 2022 Asia-Pacific guide.