Dr Mark Watts > Bristows LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

The ‘technically excellent and very engaging’ team at Bristows LLP provides ‘pragmatic and commercially-focused advice’ to a range of well-known names, including Facebook, Google and WarnerMedia, on data protection matters, including litigation, data breaches and global compliance projects. Mark Watts overseas the team and is recommended for contentious data matters, recently acting for British Airways on a data protection fine filled by the ICO. Multi-jurisdictional information governance and compliance projects is the area of expertise of Christopher Millard while Marc Dautlich has extensive experience in advising on cyber and data breach incidents and the sharing of medical data. At the senior associate level, Jamie Drucker and Hannah Crowther are names to note.

Contentious work is a core strength for the broad technology sector practice at Bristows LLP, with experience in disputes ranging from major FRAND cases to competition issues to media and data protection compliance work, which the firm handles for an impressive base of high-profile household names and multinational corporates. On the non-contentious side, strengths include corporate M&A and venture capital matters, commercial IP work, and strategic and project advice for clients across the technology, media, and telecoms sectors. The offering is anchored by experienced partner Mark Watts, who has particular experience in commercial IP and data protection work. Toby Crick is a key contact for telecoms clients, where Myles Jelf is also recommended for his litigation expertise. Adrian Sim is highly recommended for financial services implementation projects, and Pat Treacy for her experience in EU competition law.

The practice at Bristows LLP rests firmly on its pillars of advertising, brand protection, and film/TV production where it represents clients from these sub-sectors in both contentious and non-contentious matters. Mark Watts leads the team together with Paul Jordan , a renowned expert on issues arising around advertising and brand protection. Their team includes associate Andrew Butcher who looks after clients such as The Guardian News and Media and ITV on marketing matters.

The ‘outstanding’ team at Bristows LLP is notable for providing extensive reputation advisory services to high-profile tech and media clients. Practice head Alex Keenlyside has a wealth of media and data protection litigation experience, regularly acting for the largest players in the tech space including Google and Meta. Specialist Mark Watts leads the firm’s data protection team and handles a range of data and privacy matters for numerous multinational traditional media publishers. Associate Victoria Baron is also recommended for her experience advising on intermediary liability, defamation, misuse of private information, and data protection.