Bird & Bird has launched Bird & Bird Privacy Solutions, which includes two new services to enhance its data protection offering and help clients comply with the gdpr. Extending its offering beyond legal data protection services, Bird & Bird will provide data protection officer (DPO) services and gdpr representative Services.

EU and global

Companies without an EU presence, but that offer goods and services to, or monitor, individuals within the EEA must usually appoint a gdpr representative in a member state. Bird & Bird Privacy Solutions is now providing this EU representative's role to ensure that clients comply with the gdpr by facilitating communication with individuals and data protection authorities in the EEA. The firm will guide clients' approach to gdpr compliance when necessary and help them maintain their records of processing activities as required by the gdpr. Bird & Bird Privacy Solutions is also providing dpo services to deal with the duty introduced by the gdpr for companies that carry out certain types of processing activities to appoint a data protection officer. Bird & Bird Privacy Solutions will be established in the European Union in compliance with the gdpr, offering its services globally.

“No-brainer”

To lead both of these new initiatives, Bird & Bird has appointed Vincent Rezzouk-Hammachi as managing director. Mr Rezzouk-Hammachi joins from Mazars UK and France where he was leading the data privacy advisory and data protection officer services. Ruth Boardman and Ariane Mole, co-heads of Bird & Bird's international privacy and data protection practice say “We are very excited to launch our new gdpr representative and dpo services offerings for our clients. In the year since gdpr came into force, we've seen a huge interest in these services, as clients juggle the increasing demands the Regulation has brought.” Mr Rezzouk-Hammachi says “Bird & Bird has a leading reputation in the data protection sphere, so it's a no-brainer that the firm now provides these two offerings to clients to accompany its legal expertise. I look forward to helping our clients around the world manage their gdpr requirements.”