Mr Olivier Proust > Fieldfisher > Brussels, Belgium > Lawyer Profile

Fieldfisher
L'ARSENAL, BOULEVARD LOUIS SCHMIDT, 29
1040 BRUSSELS
Belgium

Work Department

Technology and Data

Position

Olivier is a partner in the Technology and Data team in Fieldfisher’s Brussels office.

Career

Data protection has now become an essential area of European law.

As a French-qualified lawyer based in Brussels, Olivier is ideally located at the heart of Europe to monitor any legal developments in this fast-developing area of the law and to interact with representatives of the EU institutions and bodies.

As a privacy law specialist, he advises organisations of all sizes and across business sectors on all aspects of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and French data protection law, including to implement privacy policies and procedures, to conduct data protection impact assessments, or to handle data subject requests.

Olivier also frequently assists organisations with drafting, reviewing and negotiating data privacy clauses in customer or service agreements. Another area of his work consists in advising multinational organisations on what data transfer mechanisms to put in place when transferring personal data outside the EU (such as binding corporate rules or standard contractual clauses).

He advises organisations on how to handle data security incidents and when to notify the regulators or the individuals that are impacted by these incidents.

Olivier usually advises Data Protection Officers directly on their privacy compliance strategies but often I also act as an external DPO for many of our clients. Also, as the Data Protection Authorities become more resourceful, He assists companies during critical moments such as DPA inspections and advises them on how to respond to DPA inquiries.

Given the nature of data protection law, the GDPR is often at the intersection with other areas of law. Therefore, he advises clients in specific areas, such as consumer privacy, online e-privacy (i.e. direct marketing, cookies, etc.) and employee privacy rights (employee monitoring, whistleblowing, corporate investigations, e-discovery).

He is an active contributor to our Privacy, Security & Information Blog and has written many articles both in French and English that were published in law journals.

Olivier is a member of the Paris and Brussels bars (E list for European lawyers).

Languages

French, English

Memberships

As a member of the IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals)’s Faculty, Olivier trains IAPP members each year on the CIPP/E certification program and speaks at many events that are organised by the IAPP.

Olivier also sits on MedTech Europe’s Data Protection Committee as an external privacy expert.

Lawyer Rankings

Belgium > Industry focus: IT and telecoms

Fieldfisher‘s broad offering covers assistance with outsourcings, technology procurements, cloud computing issues and the commercialisation of new technologies. The ‘ pragmatic and compliant’ team is also competent in the area of IT disputes, handling matters ranging from mediation to litigation. The ‘hands-on’ Tim Van Canneyt jointly leads the practice alongside IP expert Stijn Debaene and French-qualified lawyer Olivier Proust. Van Canneyt’s practice extends to IT contract negotiation and litigation, while Proust excels in mandates with a privacy dimension. Hakim Haouideg and Nathalie Poupaert are further names to note.

Belgium > EU regulatory: Privacy and data protection

(Next Generation Partners)

Olivier ProustFieldfisher

With equal expertise in data protection and cybersecurity issues, Fieldfisher is noted for its ‘practical approach‘, arranging work across four broad privacy pillars – operational compliance, commercial and project-related advice, crisis management, and dispute resolution. Tim Van Canneyt and Olivier Proust jointly head up the technology and data department; the former is lauded as an ‘exceptionally bright and pragmatic lawyer‘, while the latter is noted for his expertise in advising companies of all sizes on their global privacy compliance programmes. In terms of sector specialisms, the team focuses particularly on the technology, finance, life sciences and energy industries.