Emma Drake

I am a partner working on data and online safety compliance from our London office. I work with a wide variety of organisations, particularly in the media, sports and life sciences sectors. I also advise extensively on children's and employee privacy matters.

My work covers all aspects of data protection, e-privacy and online safety law, including advice on compliance documentation, policy and procedure, risk and impact assessment and individual rights. I have a particular focus on digital regulation which impacts on the handling of special category data or vulnerable groups, including employees and children. I regularly help clients with assessment of new products or processes, including across multiple jurisdictions and defence in front of regulators. I have also assisted numerous clients on personal data breaches, and know the importance of prompt pragmatic advice when handling security incidents.

Across sports, I advise a large number of clubs, competitions and national and international sports governing bodies and federations. This has included specific advice on topics such as safeguarding, anti-doping and integrity investigations as well as commercial matters such as engagement with fans. I have been described as a 'lead lawyer for sport on data protection' in the House of Lords.

In health, I work with a variety of healthcare and life science clients, from traditional pharmaceutical companies to health informatics providers to wellness apps. Sector-specific issues I have helped clients with include the application of research exemptions, anonymisation, and cross-cutting patient confidentiality rules.

I co-head the firm's HR Data initiative and regularly advise employers on the intersection of employment and data protection laws. Work in this area regularly covers employee monitoring technologies, equality and diversity initiatives, data subject access rights and assessment of AI tools.

During my time at Bird & Bird, I have completed secondments with clients in the consumer retail and pharmaceutical sectors. I am CIPP/E certified by the International Association of Privacy Professionals and have spoken at the IAPP Europe Data Protection Congress. I have also contributed chapters on data protection to 'Sport: Law and Practice' (Bloomsbury Professional, 4th Edn, 2021) and the 'Guide to EU and UK Pharmaceutical Regulatory Law' (Kluwer Law International).

• Advising a group of sports governing bodies in the UK to obtain sports specific provisions as part of the UK's Data Protection Act 2018, obtaining legal grounds to process data for anti-doping, integrity and safeguarding purposes.
• Advising various social media platforms in their engagement with the ICO on the Children's Code (AADC) and on their work preparing for the UK Online Safety Act.
• Advising a multinational pharmaceutical company on its innovative patient care programmes, including advice on handling patient and HCP data as part of an NHS Test Bed.