Simon Verschaeve
LawyerSimon Verschaeve practices in the area of privacy, data protection and technology regulation. His expertise covers both contentious and non-contentious data protection matters, including litigation before the Belgian Data Protection Authority, advising on online advertising rules and assisting with GDPR compliance of innovative projects and technologies.
He is affiliated as an academic teaching assistant to the research group Law & Technology at Ghent University.
He also advises clients on all aspects of data transfers under the GDPR, assists with data and cybersecurity breaches as well as pre-litigation issues involving data subject complaints. Simon also closely follows up on upcoming EU legislation in relation to data and digital services, such as the Data Act, ePrivacy and the DSA.
Simon is the author of several articles in legal journals and books, including on the right to be forgotten in search engines and press archives (Cambridge Handbook, 2022), data protection in social media platforms (RABG 2021) and the legal aspects of sharenting (Journal for Youth and Children’s Rights 2020). Simon is co-editor of the book “An Introduction to Law and Technology” (2022).
Before joining DLA Piper, Simon worked as a legal researcher at Ghent University. His research focused on the data protection and intellectual property law implications of e-Portfolio implementation in health care settings.
EXPERIENCE
- Assisting several clients in proceedings before the Belgian Data Protection Authority (Inspection Service and Litigation Chamber), and in appeal proceedings before the Market Court.
- Advising on international data transfer strategies - following the Schrems II decision of the EU Court of Justice - for different multinational companies, active in sectors such as HR services, cloud services and fulfilment services. This assistance includes performing data transfer impact assessments with DLA’s Transfer Methodology, designing integrated transfer assessment processes, drafting customer-facing transfer whitepapers, providing in-house training and drafting complex transfer agreements.
- Assisting an international company in the energy sector with GDPR compliance of its mobile application, including drafting tailored privacy and cookie notices, advising on the contractual set-up and the implementation of a privacy-by-design approach.
- Advising a large Belgian company on the regulatory challenges related to an innovative authentication solution, including in relation to use of facial recognition technology and reliance on the eID.
- Assisting a Belgian media outlet and a global materials technology company with regard to data subject assess requests and the provision of pre-litigation advice.
- Advising a multinational retail clothing company on various aspects of EU Regulatory data protection compliance, including advice on CCTV, data processing and transfer agreements, data protection implications with regard to COVID-19 and diversity & inclusion-related processing activities.
- Providing detailed advice to a large automotive company on a broad range of cookies and similar technologies.
- Advising a global leader in the insurance sector on data protection aspects such as data localization, IT and electronic monitoring, video recording, breach notifications and general data protection compliance, both under Belgian and EU law.
- Assisting companies of various sectors in the context of cybersecurity incidents including the provision of time-critical incident response advice, the preparation of notifications to the Data Protection Authority and/or the data subjects and the preparation of relevant templates.
- Dutch
- English
- KU Leuven, IP/IT-law, LLM, magna cum laude, 2020
- Ghent University, MA, magna cum laude, 2019
- Solvay Brussels School, Programme in European Data Protection, 2019
Glasgow University School of Law, Exchange, 2017
Publications
- E. Lievens, S. Verschaeve, C. Vander Maelen (eds.), An Introduction to Law and Technology, Owl Press Legal (2022) (available here).
- P. Valcke, S. Verschaeve, “Going Dark or Living Forever: the Right to be Forgotten, Search Engines and Press Archives” in Cambridge handbook of information technology, life sciences and human rights, Cambridge University Press (2022) (available here).
- H. Waem, S. Verschaeve, “Wie mag fanpagina beheren op Facebook? De rol van gegevensbescherming in commerciële disputen”, RABG 2021 (in Dutch, case note to Belgian DPA decision).
- H. Waem, S. Verschaeve, “EU Regulatory Data Protection: A first appraisal of the European Commission’s proposal for a ‘Data Act’”, Privacy Matters blog, February 2022 (available here).
- H. Waem, S. Verschaeve, “EU Regulatory Data Protection: Many pieces to the regulatory framework puzzle”, Privacy Matters blog, January 2022 (available here).
- K. De Vulder, J. Spinks, H. Waem, S. Verschaeve et al, Legal aspects of connected constructions: Smart buildings DLA Client paper, December 2021 (available here).
- H. Waem, S. Verschaeve, “What’s left of the GDPR’s one-stop-shop? CJEU clarifies the competences of non-lead data protection authorities”, Privacy Matters blog, July 2021 (available here).
- R. Schoefs, L. Mouton, S. Verschaeve, “Tips and tricks: Contracting with cloud providers in the aftermath of the Schrems II judgment”, DLA Blog, July 2021 (available here).
- H. Waem, S. Verschaeve, “Second wave of noyb complaints targets cookie banners”, Privacy Matters blog, June 2021 (available here).
- A. Fierens, H. Waem, S. Verschaeve, “SESG in supply chain management: Common legal tools for practice”, DLA Blog, April 2021 (available here).
- H. Waem, A. Stappers, S. Verschaeve, “Belgium: ePrivacy proposal in progress: Council agrees on its position to start off ‘trilogue’ negotiations”, Privacy Matters blog, February 2021 (available here).
- R. Schoefs, S. Verschaeve, L. Mouton, “European Commission proposes reinforcement of EU Cybersecurity rules”, Privacy Matters blog, January 2021 (available here).
- H. Waem, S. Verschaeve, “Belgium: Class Actions in Belgium – the next level in GDPR enforcement”, Privacy Matters blog, December 2020 (available here).
- A. Fierens, E. Stockman, S. Verschaeve, “Looking outside the window(s): How streaming services have affected cinemas’ monopoly on movie releases”, December 2020 (available here).
- S. Verschaeve, “Op zoek naar evenwicht bij sharenting: mensenrechten van ouder versus kind”, TJK 2020, nr. 2, pp. 50-64 (in Dutch, Journal for Youth and Children’s Rights).
- Belgian contribution to the DLA Piper, “European Law on Cookies Guide 2020” (available here).
- Press articles related to children and their privacy at home for Telenet and Metrotime.be
Seminars
- Guest lectures at Ghent University, Faculty of Law, Course "Law & Technology", Autumn 2022
- “EU Regulatory Data Protection: A legal and policy appraisal of an emerging legislative framework”, DLA Piper webinar, 5 May 2022
- “Data protection litigation in Belgium – Practical insights and a look at the horizon”, DLA Piper webinar, 7 October 2021
- “GDPR Training for NGOs – How to comply with your organisation”, webinar for The Good Lobby, 22 September 2021
- “Everyone famous: on limits to parental disclosures about their children online”, Presentation for the annual dissertation awards of the Flemish Regulator for the Media, 13 December 2019
Prior Experience
Before joining DLA Piper, Simon worked as a legal researcher for the research group Law & Technology at Ghent University. His research focused on the data protection and intellectual property law implications of e-Portfolio implementation in health care settings.
Memberships And Affiliations
- Member of the Dutch speaking Brussels Bar
