Tanguy Van Overstraeten
Partner, IT, Data, Digital & Cyber, Brussels; Global Head of Data Protection
“I have over 35 years’ experience as a lawyer. In an increasingly challenging environment where digital transformation including artificial intelligence have become crucial for society and the economy and where data has become a key asset of many businesses, I offer clients clarity and well-considered, creative solutions.”
Overview
Professional experience
Education
Overview
Tanguy is widely regarded as a leading IT law practitioner. He has comprehensive expertise in IT procurement and sourcing, cyber security and data protection, including in-depth knowledge of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). He is also expanding his reach to the EU Digital Package, including the AI Act and the new rules governing non-personal data.
Tanguy has extensive experience in advising multinationals on local and international large-scale transactions and regulatory projects across a wide spectrum of industry sectors.
Tanguy leads the firm’s global data protection practice and has head the firm’s technology, media & telecommunications team in Brussels for more than 15 years.
Tanguy has been consistently listed in the legal directories for the last two decades, as Band 1 in Chambers and in the Hall of Fame in Legal 500. Clients identify him as an “outstanding figure in the market” (Legal 500), also stressing that "he truly thinks outside the box and consistently strives to find innovative solutions" and "he has the utmost knowledge and has shown perfect GDPR expertise" (Chambers 2024).
Tanguy has extensive experience in advising multinationals on local and international large-scale transactions and regulatory projects across a wide spectrum of industry sectors.
Tanguy leads the firm’s global data protection practice and has head the firm’s technology, media & telecommunications team in Brussels for more than 15 years.
Tanguy has been consistently listed in the legal directories for the last two decades, as Band 1 in Chambers and in the Hall of Fame in Legal 500. Clients identify him as an “outstanding figure in the market” (Legal 500), also stressing that "he truly thinks outside the box and consistently strives to find innovative solutions" and "he has the utmost knowledge and has shown perfect GDPR expertise" (Chambers 2024).
Work highlights
Tanguy has led many market-significant digitalisation, cloud, outsourcing and other IT related transactions as well as data protection projects. These include advising:
- A group of banks and insurance companies in relation to the outsourcing of their IT infrastructure further to the sale of their IT affiliate to IBM, one of the largest outsourcing projects in Belgium to date, as well as the subsequent individual deals with the same supplier and its successors
- A telecom operator on the development and operation of a new web-based and mobile device application for medical teleconsultation
- A growing number of international clients in relation to global data breaches (including ransomware) with impact throughout the world
- A French global bank on the adoption of its Binding Corporate Rules to enable international data transfers within the group
- A Japanese international technology giant on various ‘Internet of Things’-related matters as well as CCTV and facial recognition
- A messaging platform for the financial sector in its dealing with European and local authorities following the access by a non-EU authority to the data of its customers
- A Middle East telecom operator in relation to the purchase of a participation in an incumbent operator in North Africa
- A growing number of companies in relation to the implementation of the EU Digital Package, including the upcoming EU AI act, the Data Act and the NIS 2 Directive and its local implementation
Professional experience
Tanguy is active in a number of professional organisations aiming at fostering data governance and information technology and reviewing the related regulatory environment.
Since 2018, Tanguy has been active as one of the 27 selected experts of the multi-stakeholder group of the EU Commission to support the application of the GDPR throughout the EU. His mandate was renewed for three more years in 2022.
He has been data protection issue lead of the Digital Economy Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union for one decade and also served as a member of its Board of Directors for three years.
For four years, he was a member of the European Advisory Board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
He was also a member of the GDPR Advisory Committee of the University of Brussels where he taught data protection and outsourcing (Business School).
He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Global Privacy Law Review and a country correspondent of the Computer and the Telecommunications Law Review.
Tanguy speaks regularly at major conferences on data protection and IT related matters throughout the world.
Further to his work in Japan in the early nineties, Tanguy is Vice-Chair of the Belgium-Japan Association & Chamber of Commerce and Chair of its Executive Committee. In 2018, he has been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, with Gold Rays and Rosette by the Japanese government for his contribution to the reinforcement of economic relations between Japan and Belgium.
Since 2018, Tanguy has been active as one of the 27 selected experts of the multi-stakeholder group of the EU Commission to support the application of the GDPR throughout the EU. His mandate was renewed for three more years in 2022.
He has been data protection issue lead of the Digital Economy Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union for one decade and also served as a member of its Board of Directors for three years.
For four years, he was a member of the European Advisory Board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
He was also a member of the GDPR Advisory Committee of the University of Brussels where he taught data protection and outsourcing (Business School).
He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Global Privacy Law Review and a country correspondent of the Computer and the Telecommunications Law Review.
Tanguy speaks regularly at major conferences on data protection and IT related matters throughout the world.
Further to his work in Japan in the early nineties, Tanguy is Vice-Chair of the Belgium-Japan Association & Chamber of Commerce and Chair of its Executive Committee. In 2018, he has been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, with Gold Rays and Rosette by the Japanese government for his contribution to the reinforcement of economic relations between Japan and Belgium.
Education
Tanguy studied law at the University of Brussels (ULB) and holds a master’s in law (LL.M) from the University of Chicago (the Law School).
He speaks French, English, Dutch and Japanese.
He speaks French, English, Dutch and Japanese.