Privacy

Getting privacy law right is a key data governance topic for boards.  It is now more important than ever to understand the personal information held by an organisation and the obligations that come with holding it.

Our privacy law specialists regularly advise on a range of privacy and data protection issues and obligations.  Privacy issues arise in relation to both an organisation’s employees and its customers.  The issues faced often require different solutions.  We have specialists in both our employment and corporate teams that can assist.

We can help with:

• assessing and advising on privacy risks, including preparing privacy impact assessments;
• advising on compliance obligations under the Privacy Act, including internal control structures and preparing and reviewing privacy guides and manuals;
• preparing employee and customer privacy policies, including website and app privacy statements;
• preparing and advising on privacy provisions for commercial agreements, including data processing and remote access agreements;
• assisting you to prepare a data breach response plan and advising on what to do in the event of a privacy breach;
• assisting with privacy investigations and responding to privacy access requests;
• assisting with privacy issues in relation to employment disputes/personal grievance and the employer’s obligation to the Employment Relations Authority/Court;
• assisting with your dealings with the Privacy Commissioner, either as a result of a complaint or in a proactive application; and
• preparing and advising on data sharing arrangements.

We can also assist New Zealand businesses that need to know about the implications of offshore privacy regimes, such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California’s Consumer Privacy Act.  If international data transfers are a part of your business, we can also help you understand the applicable rules.

In addition to advising New Zealand businesses, we also advise international businesses and law firms on obligations under New Zealand’s privacy laws, including tailoring worldwide privacy policies to meet New Zealand requirements.