The firm polled attendees at a CounselConnect event in its Cork office, which brought together in-house counsel to discuss navigating the legal landscape of DSARs, data protection actions and penalisation claims.

Almost all (96 per cent) of attendees said they believe their organisation is prepared to handle a DSAR, which allows individuals to request access to their personal data being processed by an organisation under the GDPR regime.

The event highlighted the importance of compliance following recent court rulings which clarified the interpretation of compensation rights under GDPR and the Data Protection Act, the conferral on the District Court of jurisdiction to hear data protection actions, and the expanded scope of the protected disclosures regime.

A panel discussion moderated by Gail Nohilly, a knowledge lawyer and consultant in William Fry’s litigation and investigations department, heard from Jenny Martin, senior associate in the employment and benefits team, and Adele Hall, senior associate in the litigation and investigations team.

Ms Martin said: “Data protection actions and penalisation claims are two growth areas of litigation and increasingly arise in employment disputes. As such, these pose a heightened risk for employers but being aware of them in advance of any employment dispute mitigates the risks they pose.”

Ms Hall added: “The insights shared today underscore the need for organisations to be proactive in their data protection strategies. By establishing robust policies and ensuring comprehensive employee training, companies can better navigate the complexities of data protection actions and mitigate potential risks should an organisation experience a data breach.”