Field Fisher Waterhouse is first law firm to sign up to new data protection standard
09 February 2009
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP is the first law firm invited to
sign up to a new Government backed data protection initiative
designed to help restore public confidence in data handling in the
UK. The initiative, launched by the Information Commissioner,
is called the “Personal Information Promise”. At the heart of
the initiative is a statement of good practice which has been
signed by businesses that have demonstrated leadership in the field
of data protection.
Organisations including British Gas, BT, the Scottish Government
and Royal Mail have signed the Personal Information Promise which
the ICO hopes will send a strong signal to the public that their
personal details will be handled and protected properly.
The past couple of years have seen countless headline grabbing
data protection breaches across both the public and private sector,
raising concerns that personal information is not always treated as
seriously as it should be. By signing the Promise organisations are
committing to high standards of data protection practice. The
launch of the new initiative is a call to businesses to hardwire
the protection of personal information into organisational culture
and governance.
Field Fisher Waterhouse was asked to take part in the initiative
by the Information Commissioner because of the firm’s leadership in
the field of data protection. The firm’s Privacy & Information Law Group is the
largest data protection practice in the UK concentrating solely on
data protection issues. Led by partner Eduardo
Ustaran, the five partner group advises a range of leading
businesses including well known retailers, media clients and public
sector bodies. Eduardo Ustaran is appointed to the panel of
experts advising the world’s privacy commissioners on the adoption
of international privacy standards and partner Stewart Room is
President of the National Association of Data Protection
Officers.
Stewart
Room, the partner leading Field Fisher Waterhouse’s involvement
in the Personal Information Promise Initiative said: “Recently we
have seen many high profile data losses and security breaches,
demonstrating that organisations across the board are still not
putting in place thorough policies and procedures. We are pleased
to have been asked by the ICO to take part in this initiative as it
gives us the opportunity to underline our commitment to data
protection standards as well as encouraging other organisations to
take data protection seriously.”
Field Fisher Waterhouse, together with the other organisations
who signed up to the Promise on the first day, received a mention
in Parliament by Nigel Evans MP.
For further press information, please
contact:
Louise Eckersley, PR Manager,
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP on 020 7861 4120.
Margherita Orlandini, PR
Executive, Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP on 020 7861 4995.