At 11KBW, the members of the set are recognised as ‘data protection specialists at the very top of their game’, who are often instructed in domestic and internationally significant cases. Christopher Knight was instructed in RTM v Bonne Terre & Hestview, concerning the use of the personal data of betting customers for marketing purposes. David Glen boasts government authorities, regulatory bodies, international technology companies and media organisations. Hannah Ready represented a major pensions provider after a data breach involving the misuse of the personal data of police officers. Robin Hopkins was instructed in TikTok v Information Commissioner, which was connected to allegedly inappropriate age verification protocols. In A Utility Company v B Regulator, Jason Coppel KC was involved in the first ever appeal relating to provisions in the Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018. Rupert Paines represented the Information Commissioner in Ancestry Ireland Unlimited v Information Commissioner and National Records Scotland in the first major appeal under the Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- '11KBW is a top-tier set full of data protection specialists who are at the very top of their game. They have an extremely impressive breadth and depth of data protection expertise.'
- '11 KBW is strong in this field.'
- 'They are very good in the information and data space.'
Lawyers
Leading Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
Julian Milford KC
‘Supreme intellect, hard working, client friendly and focused – a great combination.’
Jason Coppel KC
Timothy Pitt-Payne KC
‘Hard-working, good-humoured, innovative arguments grounded in deep knowledge of relevant black letter law to facilitate creative approached and strategies. Persuasive on his feet. Highly regarded.’
Andrew Sharland KC
‘Andrew is a robust and clear advocate, who fights for his clients and secures brilliant results. A leading silk in his practice areas.’
2025 Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
Tom Cross KC
Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
David Glen
Christopher Knight
‘Methodical, strategic and encyclopaedic. The perfect counsel for any case when he is on your side. Always makes a case harder when he is against you.’
Rupert Paines
Robin Hopkins
‘Robin is one of the very top data protection juniors. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law in this area. He is an excellent draftsman, producing first class written arguments which are clear concise and compelling.’
Hannah Ready
‘Hannah is an outstanding data protection junior. She is totally on top of her game; knowledgeable, sensible and hard working. Her written work is always on point and well written.’
Julian Blake
‘Julian possesses a range of individual strengths and qualities that make them stand out in his field. He is an exceptional advocate, highly persuasive and articulate. He presents complex legal arguments clearly and precisely, with clarity and precision.’
Stephen Kosmin
‘Stephen is a very strong advocate. He is forceful and forensic without ever ceasing to be courteous. His thoroughness and attention to detail is a particular strength, allied with excellent judgement about what the key points are in proceedings.’
Jamie Susskind
Heather Emmerson
‘Heather is approachable and incredibly knowledgeable in the field of data protection. Her involvement on a case instils confidence and she can be trusted to provide an honest assessment of the evidence, providing helpful guidance as to next steps.’
Zac Sammour
‘Zac is an impressive advocate – he clear and persuasive and knows what points to run. He is also exceptional on paper and has very good judgment.’
Leo Davidson
‘Leo is very thorough, easy to work with and is a huge support to our team on a difficult matter, he is forceful and considered in making his submissions. ’
Raphael Hogarth
Ben Mitchell
‘Ben is a very thoughtful, clever and rigorous barrister.’
Katherine Taunton
Rising stars
Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.