Phil Hartley

Spear’s Review

Phil Hartley, a partner at Schillings, has a particular specialism of working with data privacy and security law in reputation and privacy cases.

He tells Spear’s: ‘I’ve had many cases against paparazzi involving data protection laws, and lots of work involving compliance databases.’ An individual being listed on a compliance database as a politically exposed person, for example, can interfere greatly with their ability to do business, he explains.

Hartley has also defended against defamation generated by AI. ‘It was pretty astonishing and scandalous and completely original allegations against my client, linking them with some pretty horrendous things,’ he says. He also advises companies on AI and data privacy issues.

Hartley was shortlisted for the 2024 Spear’s Award for Reputation Lawyer of the Year. 

Adviser Profile

Phil specialises in protecting the reputations, privacy and information security of high-profile international corporations and C-suite executives. 

A defamation, privacy and data protection specialist, Phil’s legal expertise extends to confidentiality, harassment and intellectual property law – advising corporations and executives on how to build dynamic and sustained resilience against risk and volatility (particularly when countering the landscape of threats posed by AI). 

A leader in protecting clients’ critical assets in time-sensitive crises, Phil is adept at finding ways to harness opportunities amidst reputational shocks and stressors. Phil has been ranked as a ‘rising star’ in the Super Lawyers Directory.