Services
Our team works across the world to advise a broad range of clients on what to do with data: from policy design to regulatory compliance, data management to private litigation and enforcement.
Our client base consists of international organisations, governments, companies, charities, universities, think tanks, and individuals. Our commercial practice is balanced with giving those less-resourced a voice.
Look at client testimonials, or get in touch to discuss your needs.
AWO is a law firm authorised in England & Wales. We provide a full range of advice on data rights and privacy law, and bring legal actions for clients to enforce and advance data rights.
- Legal advice: We advise on all aspects of privacy and data law, including how the law works in novel technological contexts.
- Claims: we assert our clients’ rights through legal proceedings, including claims under the GDPR & UK Data Protection Act 2018.
- Remedies: we obtain remedies for our clients including financial compensation, compliance orders, and the ‘right to be forgotten’.
- Regulatory complaints: We bring matters before data protection supervisory authorities, such as the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.
- Strategic litigation and judicial review: we bring actions that expose, undermine and change systemic data rights abuses by industry and state authorities.
We navigate complex legal, technical and organisational frameworks, making data protection meaningful to the organisations we support and workable for the activities they engage in.
- Data protection & privacy-by-design: comprehensive data protection compliance services including audits, policy development, governance frameworks, data protection impact assessments and practical implementation tools.
- Complex processing environments: unparalleled experience in challenging environments such as humanitarian and health emergencies, international security and novel technological applications.
- Risk assessment and mitigation: bespoke impact assessments in data protection, human rights, and algorithmic audits which produce workable recommendations.
- Partnerships and data-sharing: controller-processor agreements, joint controllership, data processing agreements, international transfer mechanisms, and strategic vendor management.
- Start-ups and investors: we provide support for data protection, IT and IP law services for new ventures, risk assessment, and due diligence for investors.
We monitor and analyse regulation, develop policy positions for clients, design advocacy strategies, and represent public interest organisations.
- Monitoring and analysis: we specialise in emerging EU-legislation and regulatory digital policy initiatives, including the Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, Code of Practice on Disinformation, Artificial Intelligence Regulation, CSAM regulation, e-ID, e-privacy, political ads regulation, and Media Freedom Act.
- Position drafting and strategy development: we develop of original policy proposals as well as support for the creation and deployment of advocacy strategies.
- Public affairs representation: we provide representation for public interest organisations seeking to engage relevant stakeholders in the EU on digital policy.
We offer original research and advisory services on emerging technology issues and algorithm governance, drawing from our expertise in public policy, data protection and compliance, and applied ethics.
- Advice on emerging technology issues: including on regulatory developments, helping you identify relevant implications for your organisation.
- Interpreting technology for non-technical audiences: we review technical systems alongside policy and regulatory conversations, to provide relevant insights for policy, advocacy, and strategy development.
- Algorithm governance: we provide recommendations and support for organisations looking to develop best practices for designing, developing, and deploying algorithms.
- Performing ethical assessments: we evaluate individual projects, manage portfolios, and provide comprehensive oversight frameworks.
References
What our clients say about us.
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Amy Crocker ECPAT International
“AWO were an excellent partner from concept through to delivery - thinking along with us, asking the difficult questions, and putting together a great team to help us meet our goal of producing technical insight that would be both accessible and adaptable for our target audiences.”
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Frederico Oliveira da Silva BEUC
“We were very pleased with AWO’s work on this project, turning around a model complaint in a tight time frame and in the midst of a number of developments in this area. As well as their analysis we appreciated the team’s ability to take on board our feedback in the drafting process.”
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Jeni Tennison Connected by Data
“AWO helped us break down our policy question into manageable and realistic case studies capable of legal analysis. Their legal findings helped us engage stakeholders to really move the conversation forward.”
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Matt Davis Ada Lovelace Institute
“AWO’s analysis gave us a clear view of the distinction between legal protection from AI harms on paper and in practice. This was vital in helping us formulate our response to the UK Government’s position at a crucial point in the debate on AI regulation.”
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Silkie Carlo Big Brother Watch
“AWO’s legal team have been an important partner for Big Brother Watch in our work across facial recognition technology, online surveillance and more. We rely on their advice on where legal options – whether public law challenges, civil claims, or regulatory complaints – can be used to further campaign goals.”
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Ben Scott Reset
“AWO is the best in class as a digital public policy agency. They provide an unparalleled combination of deep political insights, subject matter expertise on a range of technology policies, and a principled commitment to the public interest. They offer creative strategic advice and innovative solutions that have delivered long term change.”
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Cedric Aperce Vital Strategies
“Thank you for the thorough Data Protection Audit you conducted for Vital Strategies’ Paris Office and your kind understanding of our challenges. We learned a lot in collaborating with you on this project”
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Christina J. Colclough Why Not Lab
“AWO’s expertise in the GDPR and practical experience litigating data rights challenges was invaluable in our work creating a tool for union representatives on how to use data rights to respond to the use of new technology in the workplace.”
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Dr. Rebekah Tromble Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics at George Washington University
“It was a true pleasure to work with the AWO team to draft the EDMO Report of the European Digital Media Observatory’s Working Group on Platform-to-Researcher Data Access. They are thoughtful, collaborative partners who care deeply about the work they do. Their combination of legal expertise and political strategy was a real asset to this project.”
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James Farrar Worker Info Exchange
“AWO have been an important partner for us in helping platform workers access the data collected about them at work. Their experience in challenging data controllers and bringing regulatory challenges has helped us achieve real results in our casework.”
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Moritz Cramer Oxford University
“As the global community is formalising data sharing principles for health data in emergencies, AWO provided the guidance and support needed to build a sustainable and long term focussed solution that protects individuals today and in the future”
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Steve Watts GamFam
“Thank you on behalf of the Trustees of GamFam for your support […] AWO has been amazing and was extremely helpful and made the process so much easier for us all at GamFam and we are delighted to have such comprehensive policies in place.”