Data Protection Compliance

Managing data protection compliance means understanding what the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 require from your organisation, and making sure your systems, policies and processes reflect those requirements. Our solicitors advise businesses across all sectors on data protection obligations, ICO registration, data breach response and privacy governance.

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CQC inspections and enforcement support for regulated providers in the UK

What data protection compliance involves for your organisation

Data protection compliance is not a one-off exercise. Organisations must keep their privacy notices current, review data processing agreements as relationships change, respond to data subject access requests within statutory timeframes and notify the ICO of qualifying breaches within 72 hours. Our solicitors work with businesses across Manchester and the UK to build compliance frameworks that work in practice, and to provide clear support when a data protection issue arises that needs to be dealt with quickly.

How our solicitors help with data protection and privacy

Practical advice across the full range of data protection obligations, from day-to-day compliance through to breach response and ICO engagement.

GDPR Compliance

Advice on meeting your UK GDPR obligations, including privacy notices, lawful basis assessments, data subject rights, data processing agreements and data protection impact assessments. Our solicitors help organisations build compliance frameworks that reflect how they actually handle personal data.

Data Breach Response

When a data breach occurs, the 72-hour notification window to the ICO moves quickly. Our solicitors advise on whether a breach meets the notification threshold, how to notify the ICO correctly and what to communicate to affected individuals. We also advise on managing the aftermath and reducing the risk of regulatory action.

ICO Advisory Promotions

Support when the ICO makes an enquiry, opens an investigation or issues an enforcement notice. Our solicitors advise on how to respond to ICO correspondence, what to disclose and how to engage with the regulator in a way that protects your organisation’s position throughout the process.

ICO Registration

Most organisations that process personal data are required to register with the ICO and pay the data protection fee. Our solicitors advise on whether your organisation needs to register, how to complete the registration correctly and how to keep your registration current as your processing activities change.

What this means for your organisation

  • Data protection obligations understood and actively managed
  • GDPR frameworks built around how your organisation actually operates
  • Data breaches handled correctly within the 72-hour notification window
  • ICO correspondence and investigations handled by solicitors with regulatory experience
  • ICO registration kept current as your processing activities evolve

When to seek data protection compliance advice

  • Your organisation has suffered a data breach, and you need to assess whether ICO notification is required
  • You are reviewing your privacy notices and data processing agreements for the first time
  • The ICO has contacted your organisation, and you need advice on how to respond
  • You are onboarding a new supplier or partner and need a data processing agreement in place
  • You want to confirm whether your organisation needs to register with the ICO and on what basis

Meet the Founder

Marium brings 22 years of experience advising businesses on data protection compliance, regulatory obligations and governance matters across the UK and internationally. A solicitor regulated by the SRA (ID: 277854), MCIArb, and DIFC Courts mediator, she founded MAR Legal to give individuals and businesses direct access to senior legal advice without the overhead of a traditional firm.

Marium Razzaq - Solicitors in Manchester
Marium Razzaq
Solicitor & Director Mar Legal
MCIArb

Why organisations choose MAR Legal for data protection compliance

Solicitor Led Advice

Data protection advice delivered by solicitors who understand regulatory expectations and how the ICO operates.

Clear Timescales

Delivery dates agreed at the outset and met without the need to chase.

Fixed Fee Pricing

Clear pricing on compliance reviews, privacy notices, data processing agreements and breach response support.

Commercial Focus

Data protection compliance advice shaped around how your organisation operates, not just what the legislation says.

Trusted by businesses and organisations across the UK for clear, practical advice on data protection compliance and ICO regulatory matters.

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How our data protection compliance process works

01

Initial assessment

We review your organisation’s current data protection position, identify the relevant obligations and confirm exactly how we can help

02

Advice and documentation

We provide written advice, draft or review the required policies, notices and agreements, and identify any gaps in your current arrangements.

03

Implementation support

We work with your team to put the right processes in place and ensure the people responsible understand what is required of them.

04

Ongoing support

For organisations requiring continued input, we provide regular compliance reviews and support as your data processing activities and obligations evolve.

What Our Clients Say

Data Protection Compliance FAQs

UK GDPR requires organisations to process personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently, to collect it only for specified purposes and to keep it accurate and secure. In practice that means having a clear lawful basis for each type of processing, maintaining an up-to-date privacy notice, responding to data subject requests within statutory timeframes and having appropriate technical and organisational security measures in place. Organisations that process personal data on behalf of others also need written data processing agreements in place with each processor they use.

A personal data breach must be reported to the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of it if it is likely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals. Not every breach meets this threshold, accidental loss of data that is recovered quickly and causes no harm may not need to be reported. The assessment needs to be made promptly, documented regardless of the outcome and, where the threshold is met, the notification must be made within the window even if all the details are not yet available.

A data processing agreement is a contract between a data controller and a data processor that sets out the terms on which the processor handles personal data on the controller’s behalf. UK GDPR requires one to be in place whenever a controller uses a processor, which includes cloud software providers, payroll bureaus, marketing agencies and IT support companies. The agreement must cover specific matters set out in the legislation and cannot simply be a standard confidentiality clause in a broader services contract.

Most organisations that process personal data are required to pay the data protection fee and register with the ICO. There are exemptions for certain types of processing, including processing carried out for personal, family or household purposes, and for some not-for-profit organisations. Failure to register when required is a criminal offence and the ICO actively enforces registration obligations. If you are uncertain whether your organisation needs to register, taking advice before you decide not to is the right approach.

An ICO investigation typically begins with a request for information about your organisation’s data processing activities or about a specific incident. Organisations are expected to cooperate and respond within the timeframe given. The ICO can issue reprimands, enforcement notices requiring specific action, and monetary penalties of up to £17.5 million or 4% of global annual turnover for serious breaches. The way an organisation engages with the ICO from the outset, including the quality of its response and the steps it has taken to address any issues, has a material bearing on the outcome.

A data protection impact assessment (DPIA) is a process for identifying and minimising the data protection risks of a new project or type of processing. UK GDPR requires a DPIA before carrying out processing that is likely to result in a high risk to individuals, which includes large-scale processing of sensitive data, systematic monitoring of individuals and use of new technologies. The ICO has published a list of processing types that always require a DPIA, and organisations that fail to carry one out when required face regulatory risk.

Our solicitors provide data protection officer support for organisations that are required to appoint a DPO or that want external input on an ongoing basis. This covers advising on compliance obligations, monitoring data protection practices, providing staff training and acting as a point of contact for the ICO. UK GDPR permits the DPO function to be outsourced to an external provider, provided the individual or organisation fulfils the role’s requirements. We discuss the most appropriate arrangement at the initial consultation based on your organisation’s size and processing activities.

MAR Legal provides advisory and documentation support on data protection compliance and ICO regulatory matters. Where a matter involves regulated representation before the ICO or Information Tribunal, we work alongside appropriately regulated professionals.