Robert Lister joined Ropes & Gray in October 2015 as an associate in the firm’s intellectual property transactions group. Prior to joining the firm, Robert was an associate in the intellectual property and corporate teams of the London office of another large international law firm. Having spent 18 months on secondment in Ropes & Gray's Boston office, Robert has developed significant experience in and forms part of the firm’s data, privacy and cybersecurity practice in the UK and US. Robert’s practice focuses on providing practical legal and commercial counsel regarding data protection, privacy and information security issues facing domestic and international clients, including in the finance, investment, technology and IT services, health care, pharmaceutical, professional services, consumer goods and retail, media, travel, sports and other commercial sectors.
Robert has a wide range of experience advising UK, US and other international clients on all aspects of UK and EU privacy and data protection laws, including, in particular, the GDPR and laws on electronic direct marketing. Robert has extensive experience advising on the application of UK and EU privacy and data protection laws to multinational organizations, drafting, developing and implementing global GDPR compliance programs, advising on data audits, risk and gap assessments, complex international data transfer and sharing issues, consent issues, data breach response, data retention, vendor management, general data protection compliance, drafting internal and external privacy notices, and drafting and negotiating processor contracts (for both controllers and processors).
In addition to advising on a wide range of buy and sell-side data protection, privacy, information security, IT and intellectual property issues arising in corporate transactions, Robert also has particular experience advising on UK and EU intellectual property and commercial law issues, with specific emphasis on media, e-commerce, outsourcing, labelling, sponsorship, IT and marketing issues.
Disclaimer
Experience
- Acting for various multinational clients, including asset managers, investment banks, private equity firms, hedge funds, investment managers, portfolio companies, sports leagues and B2C and B2B businesses across a range of sectors on global data privacy strategies and compliance programmes, including undertaking gap/risk assessments, stress testing existing compliance steps, and drafting and implementing GDPR-related agreements, notices, policies and procedures
- Acting for various UK, US and other international clients on assessing, handling, responding to and reporting data breaches and other security incidents
- Advising on complex international data transfer strategies, as well as implementing compliant transfer mechanisms
- Advising on website creation and drafting related disclaimers, terms of use and privacy and cookie notices as well as compliant consent mechanisms
- Assessing vendor management procedures for numerous multinational clients, and drafting and negotiating data processing and transfer agreements, including with major IT service providers
- Undertaking data protection, IT and intellectual property due diligence relating to international buy and sell-side corporate transactions across a wide range of sectors, including life sciences and clinical trials, retail, SaaS providers and IT service providers
- Advised 3i Group plc, a leading international investment manager focused on mid-market private equity and infrastructure, and GartenHaus on the acquisition of Outdoor Toys, one of the UK’s leading online retailers of outdoor garden toys
- Advised Livingbridge, one of the UK’s leading mid-market private equity investors, on its investment in RealVNC, a leading vendor of remote access and remote support software
- Acting for GIC in connection with its acquisition of a 40% interest in The Oxford Science Park from Magdalen College, Oxford and on a strategic joint venture between GIC and Magdalen College aimed at accelerating major development of the Science Park
- Advised Partners Group, the global private markets firm, on its acquisition of Pharmathen, a European pharmaceutical company, from international investment firm BC Partners on behalf of its clients. The transaction values Pharmathen at an enterprise value of around EUR1.6 billion
- Acting for American Industrial Partners on its acquisition of Domtar Corporation’s Personal Care business, a manufacturer and marketer of adult incontinence and infant diapers and related products
- Acting for Baring Private Equity Asia in connection with its definitive agreement to sell the surgical business of Lumenis Ltd. to Boston Scientific Corp.
- Acting for Humble Group AB, a Swedish food-tech and FMCG-group supplying the next generation of products that are good for people and the planet, on its up to SEK 1.384 billion acquisition of Solent Global Limited, a leading international supplier of healthy foods and personal care products
- Advising Bridgepoint on its acquisition of Achilles, a supply chain risk and performance management business
- Advised Inflexion and other shareholders (including the management team) on the sale of Reed & Mackay, a premium corporate travel management and events business, to TripActions, a U.S.-headquartered business travel and spend management platform
- Acting for ERM, the world’s largest pure-play sustainability consultancy, and the ERM Partner shareholders, on the sale of ERM to KKR, a leading global investment firm
- Acting for GHO Capital Partners on its acquisition (alongside the existing Envision management team and employees) of a majority stake in Envision Pharma Group, a leading technology-enabled scientific communications company
- Advised Advent International on its agreement to acquire Nielsen Global Connect, a unit of Nielsen Holdings plc, for $2.7 billion
- Advised Integrated Media Company (IMC), a TPG platform dedicated to the new media ecosystem, on the acquisition of a majority stake in Goal from the DAZN Group
- Acting for Bridgepoint on its investment in Matrix SCM, a leading managed service provider for the outsourced hiring and management of temporary local government staff in the UK
- Advised Arsenal Capital Partners on the proposed acquisition by its portfolio company Value Demonstration Holdings LLC of Cello Health plc, an AIM-listed global healthcare-focused advisory group
- Advised K2 Insurance Services, a portfolio company of Lee Equity Partners, the U.S. private equity firm, on its acquisition of Pioneer Underwriters, a London-headquartered underwriting services organisation
- Advised the Asset Management & Investor Services Divisions of Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation on its acquisition of Point Nine Limited
- Acting for TSG Consumer Partners on its acquisition of a minority stake in Revolution Beauty and its acquisition of a minority stake in BrewDog, a Scottish craft beer company
- Acting for Ensono, a leading hybrid IT services provider on the acquisition of leading UK-based hybrid IT services provider Attenda, and the acquisition of Inframon, a UK-based cloud transformation company
- Acting for CCMP on its £600 million sale of PureGym, the largest UK gym chain by membership
- Acting for Bain Capital on its acquisition of NGA UK, a UK payroll and HR Business from NGA Human Resources, and of Benefex, an HR technology business
- Acting for Pulsant on its acquisition of LayerV, a specialist public cloud solution integration company
- Acting for 3i Group plc on the acquisition of Audley Travel, a provider of tailor-made experiential holidays
- Advising a major pharmaceutical company on the licensing and later sale of its proprietary software for further development, including drafting the primary transaction documentation and related sponsorship and license agreements
- Acting for a variety of clients on promotion and marketing matters, including promotions and labelling, as well as trademarks, copyright, licensing and distribution issues
Notable matters in which Robert has been involved prior to joining the firm include:
- Undertaking due diligence relating to international corporate transactions
- Acting for an international gaming company in a successful, high-profile trade mark litigation against leading sport betting companies
- Advising on the labelling and packaging of food stuffs and alcoholic drinks
- Assisting with drafting and negotiating sponsorship agreements with various top-level professional sports teams
- Advising on issues relating to the processing of health data derived from clinical trials and mobile apps
- Drafting and advising on IP licensing agreements and assignments
- Negotiating and advising on trade mark prosecution issues and drafting clearance reports
- Managing a global trade mark licence recordal project
- Advising on and drafting web site terms of use and privacy, cookie, BYOD and data retention policies