Matthew Richardson is a partner in the firm’s Cybersecurity & Data Privacy and Digital Commerce groups. Matthew provides clients with cutting-edge legal solutions in the digital realm; and his experience bridges the dynamic intersection of corporate transactional law and the intricate world of high-tech legislation, making him an invaluable asset to clients navigating the complexities of the digital age.
Matthew’s acumen extends through data protection and privacy, intellectual property, commercial law, cybercrime and public law, with an emphasis on the legalities surrounding digital commerce and fintech. His practice is bolstered by an in-depth knowledge of franchising and an astute understanding of issues like cyber harassment, digital forensics and the nuances of electronic communications.
His robust legal portfolio is complemented by an impressive array of advanced engineering qualifications, which equip him with the rare ability to grasp and articulate the technical nuances of IT and high-tech cases with remarkable speed and clarity. Matthew is responsible for several advancements in IT law, including the first injunction served by Twitter, and the first injunction to prevent the use of an illegal bit-torrent. He has also represented and advised in many related areas, including novel hi-tech injunctions, online harassment, data protection matters, domain name disputes, online infringement of moral rights, online infringement of trademarks and copyright, software contracts, telecoms disputes, negligence in software design, online breach of confidence, multijurisdictional IT matters, database rights and bitcoin disputes.
As an authority in data protection and cybersecurity law, his experience is sought after globally. He has consulted for governments on legislative frameworks and advised multinational data controllers and processors on their privacy regimes, representing clients in some of the most significant global data protection and cyber law cases. Matthew excels in partnering with clients to quickly respond effectively to data breaches and cyberattacks, providing critical guidance in establishing robust incident response protocols, ensuring swift and compliant navigation through these complex and often critical situations. His experience in this space is preventative and reactive, offering a comprehensive approach to every cybersecurity challenge he is engaged to help with. He is also well-versed in the tactics and procedures necessary to retrieve stolen funds stemming from cyberattacks and breaches; from conducting investigations and liaising with financial institutions to bringing the matter to the courtroom, he prides himself in helping clients create and implement plans and procedures to safeguard their businesses from future incidents.
In the courtroom, Matthew represents clients in multifaceted domains, including high-profile proceedings and cases featuring super-injunctions and anonymous parties. A fully qualified barrister in England, he has represented clients at all levels, from the County Court to the Supreme Court, as well as in the Employment Appeals Tribunal and several other specialist tribunals. His judicial contributions also include a term as a magistrate in Central London, further testifying to his breadth of legal experience and commitment to public service, and he is also admitted to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (BVI).
His publication "Cyber Crime: Law and Practice" (2nd Edition, 2019) is hailed as a seminal practitioner text and reflects his status as a thought leader in this rapidly developing field.
Outside the courtroom, Matthew dedicates time to educating others as a frequent lecturer on legal considerations related to data and privacy, franchising and startup. His insights are sought for conferences and academic forums, where he speaks on the evolving challenges and legal considerations in the technology and digital landscape.
His legal prowess, augmented by his technical skill and global perspective, solidifies his reputation as a leading lawyer in corporate, cyber, data privacy and digital commerce laws and as a trusted advisor to those he represents.
Work Highlights
Healthcare company that had $24 million stolen in a business email compromise fraud. We were able to act quickly while the breach was ongoing, recovering $23.4 million.
Financial services company in a complex global data breach affecting more than 1 million individuals. We advised on reporting obligations in 190 jurisdictions worldwide, working with regulators and achieving a “best case scenario” outcome for the client, avoiding regulatory exposure in the tens of millions of dollars.
International hotel chain in recovering multiple millions in stolen funds after bank accounts were compromised. Worked closely with regulators to prevent this breach from delaying an M&A transaction and helped preserve enterprise value in the multiple millions of dollars.
International membership organization in recovering $3.8 million after the organization suffered a breach and lost $4 million, where the breach was not noticed for several months.
Data start-up company that was due to be sold and had few data protection procedures in place, jeopardizing the sale. We put procedures and policies in place, and organized the data to facilitate the sale.
Online search engine in advising on corporate, regulatory and data privacy matters.
Membership-based marketing group in a cyber security breach.
Restaurant chain in recovery of corporate data after a data breach incident.
Online social casino in a data breach response.
Some of Matthew’s notable matters prior to joining Brown Rudnick include:
Private individual in obtaining landmark privacy injunction: Obtained a landmark injunction in the High Court of England and Wales in London’s Technology and Construction Court prohibiting downloading specific files shared via BitTorrent technology. After Matthew’s client’s mobile phone, containing intimate photos, was stolen, criminals uploaded the intimate photos to a bit torrent site and subjected her to blackmail and harassment. Matthew was able to secure a court injunction that stopped the file seeding and criminalized the conduct, an important ruling protecting individual privacy rights in the U.K. AMP v. Persons Unknown.
Lifestyle Management in obtaining groundbreaking injunction: Obtained a groundbreaking injunction for Lifestyle Management, an investor services company, against a disgruntled former employee. The former employee created several “grudge” sites using similar domain names to Lifestyle’s main website, but which denigrated Lifestyle and disclosed confidential Lifestyle information. The High Court of England and Wales in London’s Technology and Construction Court granted the injunction, directing the former employee to remove the offending content. Lifestyle Management v. Frater.
Private individual in first-of-its-kind service effected on Twitter: In a first-of-its-kind case, Matthew effected service of process on defendant via direct messaging on Twitter. Matthew’s client, a solicitor and political blogger, sought to stop an unknown individual impersonating him on Twitter. After the defendant identified himself on the social media platform, settlement was reached. This case was widely reported in the press for its novel use of social media for service in the Chancery Division of the High Court of England and Wales. Donal Blaney v. Persons Unknown.
Solicitor in alleging conspiracy by the Law Society: Matthew represented a tax solicitor who had been subject to a criminal investigation instituted by the Serious Fraud Office and then struck from the Roll of Solicitors by the Law Society. Matthew represented the solicitor in High Court proceedings against the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and other individuals, alleging that his client had been the victim of a conspiracy. Baxendale-Walker v. Middleton & Ors.
Lender in UK Supreme Court case. Matthew represented a lender in a Supreme Court case against individual borrowers which revolved around the definition of “credit” under the Consumer Credit Act. Southern Pacific Personal Loans v. Walker.
Education
Bar Admissions
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