Chris Bollard is the "go to Privacy Counsel"
European Legal 500 2019
Expertise
Chris is a partner in the Technology and Innovation team. Chris advises clients on a host of data protection, information technology, e-commerce and intellectual property issues. Prior to joining Matheson, Chris spent eight years with another leading Irish law firm.
Chris advises local and international companies on compliance with data protection laws including GDPR compliance, data processing agreements, international data transfers, data protection impact assessments and data access requests. Chris has particular experience advising international, data rich companies who are doing business in Ireland.
Chris also advises on the protection and commercialisation of intellectual property including software licences, software development agreements, intellectual property assignments and intellectual property transfers in the context of mergers and acquisitions.
On the e-commerce side, Chris is frequently called on to advise companies selling goods and services online. As well as the core of IT/DP and IP issues, Chris also advises on more niche regulatory matters such as gambling law, the law relating to promotions and advertising, e-signatures and the Commercial Agents Directive.
Chris is a regular speaker on data protection issues and has lectured on the Law Society’s professional course for trainee solicitors as well as the Certificate in Data Protection Law course and the Diploma in Technology Law course. Chris has also spoken in start-up incubators such as Nova (UCD), the Ryan Academy (DCU), and Launchbox (Trinity). Chris is a co-author of the Irish chapter of the European Lawyers Reference book on Gaming Law (1st, 2nd and 3rd editions).
- Advising domestic and international companies on compliance with Irish data protection law including assessing their products and procedures against the requirements of the GDPR.
- Advising a large Irish multinational on new standard data protection processing clauses to anticipate the arrival of the GDPR.
- Advising a large consumer-facing internet company on setting up internal procedures to deal with access requests.
- Advising an international company on a data protection impact assessment for a new product feature.
- Advising an international pharmaceutical company on the intellectual property and data protection aspects of its agreement with a clinical trial provider.
- Advising an Irish company on a technical agreement for the acquisition of a comprehensive hardware / software solution underpinning its business.
- Advising Irish companies on data protection issues in the context of the employer/employee relationship.
- Drafting novel and opensource style software licences for large software companies.
- Providing advices on the roll-out of an e-signature solution by a large multi-national company.
- Advising a large Irish company on a series of intra-company IP transfers and licences.
- Advising an Irish company facing a claim of IP infringement in respect of their e-commerce platform.
Chris Bollard is recommended.
European Legal 500 2020
Chris Bollard is "focused yet flexible and he always provides pragmatic, commercially and legally sound advice".
European Legal 500 2020
Chris Bollard is the "go to Privacy Counsel"
European Legal 500 2019
Chris Bollard "would be my go-to guy for regulatory matters related to GDPR. He is also very proactive sending through important updates, both from an Irish perspective and an EU perspective, in a way that is related to our focus".
Chambers Europe 2019
Chris Bollard "combines legal expertise with commercial acumen".
European Legal 500 2019
Chris Bollard is recommended.
European Legal 500 2019
Chris Bollard is "technically strong".
European Legal 500 2018
Stanford Law School (LLM)
The Law Society of Ireland (Admitted as a solicitor)
University College Cork (BCL)