Department profile
Bird & Bird

Data Protection

Europe Guide 2026 : Europe-wide

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Bird & Bird

About

Provided by Bird & Bird

We have been active in the field of data protection for over 25 years. We boast one of the largest practices in Europe and Asia Pacific, with over 130 lawyers whose main practice is data protection. We have a deep understanding of changes in technology and law.

Our clients often collect large quantities of sensitive data and are high profile businesses, for whom the disclosure or misuse of data will have severe ramifications. Our team has the expertise to help clients use their data and respond to regulatory scrutiny. A number of our lawyers are former members of data protection authorities such as the DPC in Ireland and the CNIL, so we have a better insight that many into how this complex area of law is likely to be enforced.  

Some of our lawyers have also spent time in-house, giving the team extensive hands-on experience, and reinforcing a pragmatic, collaborative approach to providing legal services for our clients.

Industries (10)

  • Automotive
  • Aviation & Aerospace
  • Defence & Security
  • Financial Services
  • Energy & Utilities,
  • Life Sciences and Healthcare
  • Media
  • Entertainment and Sport
  • Retail and Consumer
  • Technology & Communications

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Data Protection - Europe-wide

Band 1

What the Team is Known For
Bird & Bird boasts a highly esteemed data protection offering across Europe with particular strength in the UK and Italy, as well as Germany, France and Spain. The firm is popular with global companies for data retention obligations and privacy investigations. It also assists with data transfer and cloud security matters. It is particularly active for clients in the automotive, technology, financial and consumer goods sectors, advising on GDPR implementation and compliance with new regulations. Bird & Bird also handles data protection matters relating to digitalisation, including artificial intelligence matters.
Notable practitioners

Ruth Boardman in London and Ariane Mole in Paris co-lead the firm's data protection practice.

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Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Bird & Bird has very deep expertise, particularly at the intersection of data protection and AI, and excellent client service and responsiveness.

    Data Protection respondentEurope

  • They combine high technical expertise with a pragmatic and efficient approach, as evidenced by their management of multi-jurisdictional and highly sensitive data protection matters.

    Data Protection respondentEurope

  • Bird & Bird has a very strong understanding of our business and services and a very good sense for what is happening in the industry and what relevant regulators expect.

    Data Protection respondentEurope

Members

Provided by Bird & Bird

  • Fabian Niemann

  • Tobias Bräutigam

  • Izabela Kowalczuk-Pakuła

  • Joaquin Muñoz

  • Ruth Boardman

    Head of Department

  • Gabriel Voisin

  • Jeremy Tan

    Head of Department

  • Deirdre Kilroy

  • Anna Morgan

  • Alex Dixie

  • Mattias Lindberg

  • Wilfred Steenbruggen

  • Debora Stella

  • Adriano D'Ottavio

  • Berend Van Der Eijk

  • Balint Halasz

  • Miriam Ballhausen

  • Jorg-Alexander Paul

  • Henriette Picot

  • Lennart Schuessler

  • Simon Assion

  • Michael Madsen

  • James Gong

  • Benoit Van Asbroeck

  • Willy Mikalef

  • Emma Drake

  • Sven-Erik Heun

  • Ariane Mole

  • Deirdre Kilroy

  • Vojtěch Chloupek

Bird & Bird has rankings in the following guides

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