Valerie Armstrong-Surgenor
PartnerValerie specialises in the areas of information technology, cybersecurity, data protection and other compliance matters, intellectual property and brand management & protection, and commercial contracts.
Val is listed in the 'WWL Thought Leaders: Data' 2023 report for Data Privacy & Protection and Data Information Technology. She is also listed in Who’s Who Legal 2023 as an expert in the areas of Data Privacy & Protection and Information Technology.
Ranked as a Leader in the Field for Charities, Data Protection & Information Law and Information Technology in the 2024 edition of Chambers UK Guide to the Legal Profession, Val is described by clients as “brilliant, approachable and able to reduce the concepts down into words and phrases I can understand".
Val leads the firm’s Charities & Third Sector team where she has a particular interest in governance and trustee matters. Having previously been the Chair of the Independent Fundraising Standards and Adjudication Panel for Scotland, the independent body in Scotland which oversees complaints made about the fundraising practices of Scottish registered charities, she also has a focus on how governance relates to charity fundraising.
Val is also an Adjunct Professor at Loyola University in Chicago USA, where she teaches in the area of privacy law at the prestigious Beazley Institute for Health Law & policy.
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Medical Devices and Product Liability: Manufacturers, Get Ready
The EU's product liability framework will be updated soon, following the publishing of Directive (EU) 2024/2853, and member states must implement its provisions by December 2026. Importantly, this will create divergence from UK product liability law under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 (based on the current EU Directive) for products placed on the market after 9 December 2026.
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New draft guidelines from EDPB on legitimate interests could create more certainty for organisations
Sometimes perceived as the more ambiguous lawful basis, legitimate interest has been the subject of new draft guidelines published by the European Data Protection Board ("EDPB"). This article will delve into those draft guidelines - that are currently subject to public consultation until 20 November 2024 - to understand their potential impact for organisations.
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Medical devices and post-market surveillance: Changes coming for the UK post-Brexit
Earlier in October 2024, The Medical Devices (Post-market Surveillance Requirements) (Amendment) (Great Britain) Regulations 2024 ("Regulations") were laid before Parliament. The Regulations are the result of consultation by the MHRA on the future regulation of medical devices in Great Britain ("GB") following Brexit and, if enacted by Parliament, will amend the UK Medical Device Regulations 2002 ("UK MDR").