The Global Legal Post today launches the first Law Over Borders online comparative guide to data protection. 

Co-edited by Bristows’ head of technology, Mark Watts, and data protection partner Hannah Crowther, the Data Protection guide features contributions by leading firms from 35 jurisdictions across the world.

It provides an insightful, country-by-country summary of key privacy obligations, helping readers to understand how data protection laws differ and interact in an increasingly connected world, thereby staying ahead of global requirements.

“The recognition of data as a valuable but also vulnerable ‘asset’ – assuming it’s appropriate to regard something arising out of a human right as an asset – has led to a wave of new legislation,” Watts and Crowther write in their introduction.

“Jurisdictions as diverse as Brazil, Japan, India and even California in the United States, have adopted or enhanced their own data protection frameworks, often inspired by aspects of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.”

The easy-to-use digital format allows readers to quickly assess how different jurisdictions tackle common issues by comparing contributing authors’ answers to a series of carefully framed questions.

Topics covered in the guide include the scope of data regulation laws, types of personal data that are subject to a higher level of regulation, the obligations that apply when personal data is processed and the regulation of commercial or direct marketing communications.

There are also sections on the transfer of personal data outside the jurisdiction in question, investigatory and enforcement powers and the sanctions and remedies for non-compliance.

Print and PDF versions of the guide will be available in April and the book will be officially launched at Luxury Law Summit London, which takes place at the British Museum on 10 June.

The Law Over Borders Data Protection guide is the 13th in the series, which also covers topics including artificial intelligence, cryptoassets and ESG. Future guides will cover insolvency law, digital transformation, litigation and mediation.

For further information about the guides, email associate publisher [email protected].

The contributing firms and jurisdictions are as follows: 

• Davies Collison Cave Law (Australia)
• Schönherr Rechtsanwälte (Austria)
• BH Legal – Law Office Milanović-Lalić and Suljović (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
• McInnes Cooper (Canada)
• DeHeng Law Offices (China)
• Vukmir & Associates (Croatia)
• Bech-Bruun Law Firm (Denmark)
• RASK Attorneys-at-Law (Estonia)
• Gide (France)
• MKD Law (Georgia)
• Oppenhoff (Germany)
• A&L Goodbody (Ireland)
• Mori Hamada & Matsumoto (Japan)
• Skrine (Malaysia)
• BLC Robert & Associates (Mauritius)
• JPM & Partners (Montenegro and North Macedonia )
• Brinkhof (Netherlands)
• G. Elias (Nigeria)
• Vellani & Vellani (Pakistan)
• Kobylańska Lewoszewski Mednis (Poland)
• Legal2M (Romania)
• Kouatly & Associates Attorneys in partnership with Motasem Khashoggi Law Firm (Saudi Arabia)
• JPM & Partners (Serbia)
• Murtić Law Office (Slovenia)
• Pérez-Llorca (Spain)
• Wesslau Söderqvist Advokatbyrå (Sweden)
• Valfor Attorneys-at-Law (Switzerland)
• Tilleke & Gibbins (Thailand and Vietnam)
• Paksoy (Turkey)
• AF Mpanga Advocates (Uganda)
• SPR Advisors (United Arab Emirates)
• Bristows (United Kingdom)
• Perkins Coie (United States)