Stronachs LLP appointed to SCVO legal panel

Stronachs LLP has been appointed by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) to its panel of legal advisors, with the firm due to highlight the need for charities to prepare for General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) at an event this week.

The Aberdeen headquartered firm joins SCVO’s list of selected firms authorised to provide legal services to more than 1,800 third sector organisations.

Stronachs, which acts for a number of local and national charities, will present on the importance of data protection compliance at SCVO’s annual free event ‘The Gathering’ in Glasgow this week (February 21-22).

Eric Gilligan, partner and head of the employment law team at Stronachs LLP (pictured) will highlight the HR aspects of privacy notices which arise from the upcoming implementation of the GDPR, immediately effective in the UK from 25 May 2018.

The new European Union (EU) Regulation will apply to the UK, despite the outcome of the referendum on Brexit, and will replace the current Data Protection Directive of 1995. The GDPR aims to address the changes in the digital landscape and increase an individual’s rights over personal data.

Key changes will include more robust regulation regarding how personal data is obtained, processed, used and stored, as well as significantly higher fines for non-compliance with data protection rules.

Mr Gilligan said: “With the GDPR coming into force in May, it’s essential that third sector organisations review and update the information they provide to their employees, and volunteers, regarding how their personal data is used.

“Charities must also ensure they include the relevant information in their privacy notices as required under the new regulation and consider how these are drafted and delivered to employees.

“We’re very pleased to be recognised in SCVO’s exclusive legal panel framework and look forward to presenting at the organisation’s upcoming event and working with more third sector organisations in the future.”

John Downie, director of public affairs for SCVO, said: “We’re delighted to be kicking off 2018 by welcoming Stronachs to our legal team, to offer more in-depth third sector knowledge and legal expertise to charities all over Scotland. By harnessing the skills and goodwill of their staff, our legal partners help SCVO members to target their limited resources to their core objectives, rather than diverting them towards paying for legal services.”