Meet Jo Lake - a new legal director in our data protection team
Jo Lake joined VWV in May 2024, and in this feature we will be finding out a little more about her role and how she supports academies and schools.
What is your role at VWV?
I am a legal director in the data protection team, which sits within the wider commercial team.
What is your legal background?
I qualified as a solicitor in 2015 into the education team of my previous firm. I advised academies and schools on a wide range of education law matters, with a strong focus on operational issues, including parental complaints and safeguarding matters. During this time, I began advising on data protection and information law issues in the education sector and have focused on this full time since 2020.
What area of law do you specialise in?
I specialise in all areas of data protection and information law issues, including personal data breaches, data subject requests (including subject access requests), requests under the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations, and data sharing in the context of parental complaints and safeguarding issues. I also have significant experience advising on enhancing compliance within academies and schools, through developing and delivering bespoke training, conducting data protection compliance audits, and preparing policy documentation and privacy notices.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I enjoy the fact that no two days are the same. Information law is a fast-paced and exciting area that allows me to help clients navigate complex situations and solve problems. I have a strong focus on the crisis-management side of data protection, which allows me to really get to know my clients.
Tell us something about yourself
In my spare time I volunteer at my local hospital on the post-natal ward, helping new parents feed their babies.
Jo's LinkedIn profile can be found here.