Hans Allnutt

Hans leads DAC Beachcroft's multi-award winning cyber risk and breach response team. He has responded to hundreds of breaches and cyber incidents, helping clients of all sizes, from SME to Global Corporates across all sectors. He is a true specialist and trusted advisor, guiding clients through their crisis and defending any regulatory investigation and privacy litigation that follows. 

Hans has also advised on cyber and data protection compliance programmes, as well as responding to information rights requests (e.g. DSARs).

As a litigator, Hans advises on disputes and injunctive relief. His practice includes national and international litigation, arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution.

Relevant experience includes:

• Advising clients on hundreds of data breaches and cyber incidents over a period of 10 years, resulting regulatory investigations and litigation. Hans is a seasoned crisis manager and problem solver, finding legal and commercial solutions.
• Cyber-attack extortion and insider data breaches involving threats to publish data, requiring negotiation and/or international injunctive action.
• Commercial disputes arising from cyber incidents and data breaches.
• Defending against individual and group litigation claims for privacy and cyber breaches.
• Advising on privacy and cyber risk compliance measures.
• Advising on information rights issues.
• Cyber insurance wording and claims.

Published Cases

• Notting Hill Genesis v Ali [2020] EWHC 1194 (QB)
• Johnson v Eastlight [2021] EWHC 3069 (QB)

In addition to the above cases, Hans has acted in various unpublished and confidential cyber and privacy litigation matters. 

Endorsements 

In 2020, the team was named as Cyber Law Firm of the Year by Insurance Insider, won the Law Society's Excellence award for business development innovation, and won the Legal Innovation Awards prize also for business development innovation.

Legal 500

Recommended for "excellent data privacy skills"

"the information security and cyber team headed by Hans Allnutt demonstrates the level and quality of service you would expect from a leading firm"

Chambers & Partners

Head of the cyber risk practice Hans Allnutt focuses on contentious data cases. His grasp of data breaches makes him a strong choice for clients seeking representation for breach response, including for matters under investigation by the ICO.

"He has been doing it for a long time, and even when it comes to the niche and unusual, he has seen it before." "He immediately gets to the nub of the problem."

Professional memberships

Hans is widely published on the topic of cyber risk, data protection and information security and speaks regularly at industry and client sponsored events. I tweet about cyber risk and privacy issues via @legallnutt.