Anna Condliffe is Principal Lawyer in the public and regulatory law team at Transport for London, having previously been a senior Professional Support Lawyer at Herbert Smith Freehills, specialising in freedom of information and all other aspects of public law. In addition to having advised clients on freedom of information and public law more generally, Anna is experienced in preparing and delivering training to clients in the public and private sectors on developments in freedom of information law and other public law issues. She recently co-authored Herbert Smith’s Freedom of Information: a guide for business and is also co-author of the chapter on the Environmental Information Regulations in the latest edition of the Law Society’s Freedom of Information Handbook.

Christopher Knight has a wide-ranging information law and data protection practice. He appeared in the Supreme Court hearing in Kennedy v Charity Commission on the role of Article 10 in FOIA cases. He regularly advises public and private sector clients on data protection issues and recently successfully assisted a local authority defend two potentially serious data breach allegations. He is currently acting in Reactiv Media Ltd v ICO defending a monetary penalty notice made under PECR against a cold-calling business. He has appeared in the Information Tribunal for the Commissioner, public authorities and requestors on the full range of FOIA exemptions, and in the Upper Tribunal recently in Voyias v ICO & Camden LBC (the ‘squatters list’ case), Matthews v ICO (strike-out power), UCAS v ICO (the scope of FOIA to partially designated bodies), Metropolitan Police v ICO & Mackenzie (the section 16 FOIA duty) and Goldsmith IBS v ICO (personal data exemption). He has written on information law issues in Public Law and the Law Quarterly Review, is a contributor to The White Book and is the co-author of the classic student textbook Bradley, Ewing & Knight, Constitutional and Administrative Law (2014, 16th ed). He is listed in 2015 Chambers & Partners for Data Protection and for Administrative and Public Law.

Damien Welfare came to the Bar in 2001 after a career in Local Government. He specialises in freedom of information, data protection and the Environmental Information Regulations. He appears in the Information Tribunal, advises on all aspects of information law, and speaks and writes regularly on information law matters.

Damien is a member of the Editorial Board of Privacy & Data Protection Journal, and is a Member of the Examination Board for the Practitioner Certificate in Data Protection

Estelle Dehon is a public law barrister practising at Cornerstone Barristers. She works across a wide range of areas, including information law and environmental law. She is a member of the European Commission’s Multistakeholder Expert Group on the GDPR, which assists the Commission in dealing with potential challenges in implementing the GDPR across Europe. Estelle’s information law practice entails providing advice and advocacy in matters concerning data protection and the GDPR, freedom of information and environmental information. She has experience of appearing before the First-Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) and of pursuing and resisting damages claims in the High Court alleging breaches of the Data Protection Act.

Estelle is a contributor to Coppel’s “Information Rights” (4th edn), having co-authored the chapter on “The Influence of the European Convention on Human Rights. Estelle is also a contributor to Data Protection - A Practical Guide to UK and EU Law (5th Edition)

 

Jackie Gray is Managing Associate at Bond Dickinson LLP. Jackie specialises in freedom of information and data protection, public law and procurement, PPP projects and public sector commercial work. Jackie has advised a wide range of public authorities on FOI & EIR issues including the application of exemptions to specific requests, re-use and licensing of datasets, data protection issues, assisting with internal reviews and advising on appeals to the Information Commissioner and Tribunal. She has also provided a wide range of training and guidance on FOI and EIR and previously presented FOI Essential Knowledge and Exemptions workshops for PDP. She has also worked with a number of public authorities to implement internal procedures for handling requests and reviews. Jackie is a member of the Editorial Board of Freedom of Information Journal and was previously the Head of the Examination Board for the Practitioner Certificate in Freedom of Information. She has also written a chapter in the 3rd edition of the Law Society Freedom of Information Handbook.

Jonathan Baines advises his employer Network Rail on various information governance issues. He handles internal reviews of Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 requests, as well as complaints about the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Jonathan acts a Special Adviser to the Editorial Board of PDP’s Freedom of Information Journal. In his spare time Jonathan miserably fails to leave the subject alone, and is a prolific blogger and tweeter (in a private capacity) on all matters related to information rights.

Liz Fitzsimons is Partner at Eversheds specialising in data protection and freedom of information and EIR.

Liz helps clients with all aspects of data protection, GDPR and e-privacy, freedom of information and compliance with environmental information regulations. Her work includes strategic advice on UK wide and multi-national data privacy, including assisting clients with audits, transfer and compliance programmes and development of supporting documents, such as privacy notices and policies. Liz has also worked closely with clients on key data sharing and shared service arrangements, in relation to mergers and acquisitions, and on critical data privacy issues when outsourcing.

Liz is a Member of the Examination Board for the Practitioner Certificate in Freedom of Information.

Matthew Burgess is a digital journalist who has experience writing for all the national newspapers. He runs the FOI Directory website which publicises Freedom of Information contact details, media stories reported from use of the Act and blogs on FOI news. Matt has also written the book, Freedom of Information: A practical guide for UK journalists, which is due to be published by Routledge in June 2015. The book covers case law, practical advice for the media making requests, and also interviews with more than 50 journalists and FOI professionals.

Paul Gibbons is the creator of the foiman.com website. Beginning his career in records management, Paul has worked in the pharmaceutical industry, local government and the Houses of Parliament. In 2003, he was recruited by the Greater London Authority to prepare the Mayor of London’s City Hall for FOI. After 6 years and two Mayors, Paul moved to the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) to become their Information Compliance Manager. Recently, he set up his own Information Rights Consultancy.

Paul has a regular column in Freedom of Information Journal.

 

 

Rachael Annear is a Senior Associate at Freshfields Bruckhaus Derringer LLP specialising intellectual property and information law.  Rachael’s experience covers a broad range of intellectual property and information law advisory, contentious, transactional and commercial experience, with a particular emphasis on trade mark, copyright and data protection matters.  Rachael also has experience of Freedom of Information Act issues.

Rachael has experience in helping clients with complex data projects often involving strategic use of Freedom of Information Act requests, advising on information law aspects of public procurements, liaising with public authorities in relation to the potential disclosure of commercially sensitive information and complex requests for internal reviews.  Rachael also helps clients with data protection issues and advises on privacy policies, issues relating to international transfers of personal data and large scale data collation and organisation projects.  Rachael spent several years as a legal advisor to the Cabinet Office and whilst there dealt with Freedom of Information issues and the transparency agenda.  Rachael is also experienced in the intellectual property aspects of international transactions and complex commercial agreements.

Steve Wood is Deputy Commissioner (Policy). He took up his role in June 2017 and has worked at the ICO since 2007. He is responsible for leading the work of the Policy Directorate, ensuring delivery of ICO strategic goals through stakeholder liaison, guidance, research, international activity and technology policy. His previous ICO roles have included Head of International Strategy and Intelligence, Head of Policy Delivery and Assistant Commissioner for FOI policy. Before joining the ICO Steve was a Senior Lecturer in Information Management at Liverpool John Moores University.

Zoe Gannon is a barrister at 11KBW. Zoe joined Chambers in 2015 following her successful completion of pupillage. She has a particular interest in public, regulatory, employment, and  commercial law and accepts instruction in all of Chambers’ main areas of practice including Freedom of Information.