The data protection practice at Bristows LLP services a global clientele that spans a wide range of sectors, with particularly high levels of activity in life sciences, tech, and financial services. The team is often instructed as sole counsel on multijurisdictional mandates, with Marc Dautlich at the helm, who leverages both data protection and cybersecurity expertise. Names to remember are Mark Watts, the main contact for proceedings against information regulators, including appeals against penalties; Hannah Crowther, who excels in handling investigations and matters involving AI issues; Jamie Drucker, a specialist in adtech and cybersecurity; and Mike Edgar, who brings key contributions. Gemma Nash joined the firm in November 2025 from Osborne Clarke LLP and provides key support.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Not just brilliant and pragmatic lawyers, but also really nice people you want to hang out with.
- Technically savvy, solution oriented, no-nonsense advice that helps find a viable path quickly.
- Mark Watts - I cannot say enough about how great Mark is. He is smart, gives really good useful advice, but is also casual and not too formal, which makes him easy to talk to. I don't just think of Mark as our outside lawyer; he's more like a trusted adviser and friend.
- The team is incredibly well-versed in the subject matter, has a very broad view of various industries, and offers useful, practical advice. They take the time to really get to know the business and what matters most and don't give advice that needs to go through further in-house filters before it can be applied. They are very approachable and make themselves available whenever needed.
- They are the best data protection team we deal with. They are extremely knowledgeable, very practical, and really nice people to deal with. Their advice is truly practical and helps us to do business in a lawful and ethical way.
- Mark Watts is the best data protection lawyer we have ever worked with. He’s a true genius and also one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Very practical, a true expert. Jamie Drucker is a fabulous data protection lawyer. Hardworking and responsive, he’s a real star in the making.
Key clients
- OpenAI
- TikTok
- Google DeepMind
- Twitter/X
- Xandr
- Nationwide Building Society
- Warner Bros Discovery
- Meta
- NBCUniversal
Work highlights
Advising TikTok on its appeal against the ICO’s £12.7m monetary penalty issued for breaches concerning children’s data, age verification, and transparency.
Advising OpenAI on a range of novel data protection issues, including those posed by agentic AI.
Continuing to advise Google on numerous product launches and the data protection issues arising out of the rapid advancement of AI.
Lawyers
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Leading associates
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Practice head
Marc Dautlich
Other key lawyers
Mark Watts; Hannah Crowther; Jamie Drucker; Mike Edgar; Gemma Nash