Georgina Kon

Georgina advises on data, technology, and sourcing issues. She advises on a variety of matters from both a commercial and regulatory (including privacy, AI and online safety) perspective, including on the use of innovative technologies, new target operating models to promote agility and efficiency, software licensing structures/chains and terms, and IT/sourcing disputes. She co-leads our multi-disciplinary global Crisis team, regularly advising on crisis response and investigations relating to cyber, data, technology and sourcing/operations. She is also one of the firm’s privacy investigations leads.

Georgina counsels a range of high-profile clients extensively on artificial intelligence, “big data”, digital cyber and online safety projects. She is well-known for her pragmatic and incisive advice, helping clients to formulate and implement appropriate risk-based approaches to both compliance and contracting in disrupted markets.

Georgina also advises customers and suppliers in the public and private sectors on all aspects of their most complex, innovative and mission-critical sourcings. She makes it a priority to ensure that the contracts she puts in place are workable in practice and reflect constantly evolving, good sourcing and commercial practice. She has significant experience in public procurement issues from the government’s perspective and on management of sourcing disputes.

Georgina is part of the firm’s healthcare and insurance sector teams, and has a particular interest in digital health initiatives. She also advises a variety of other highly regulated clients, including banks and social media platforms, on technology, data and sourcing matters. She was invited to join the Privacy Exert Group of the Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime.

Georgina has made many contributions to the firm, including advising on cyber and on the firm’s binding corporate rules application and programme. She is also involved in graduate and lateral recruitment initiatives, helping the firm to achieve its strategic aims of attracting exceptional talent and celebrating and embedding diversity. She has been a mentor with the 30% Club (aimed at boosting female representation at board and C-Suite level) for many years.

Georgina has been seconded at various times to J.P. Morgan, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and BAT.

As well as being named “Best in privacy and data protection” by Euromoney LMG Europe’s Women in Business Law Awards 2019, she has been recognised as a “Leading Individual” in the Legal 500 legal directory for Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity, as well as a “Next Generation Partner” in IT and Telecoms and Commercial contracts.

Work highlights

Georgina has advised a wide range of public and private clients on IT, sourcing and data matters. Those that can be disclosed include advising:

• a number of high-profile clients on preparing for and responding to cyber incidents and technology/operational failures (some with more than 140 affected jurisdictions), including in relation to regulatory interactions/enforcement, supply chain impacts, claims, reputation and risk management and blackmail/extortion attempts
• a number of platform providers on digital reforms, including on compliance with the DSA, Online Safety Act, AI Act, Data Act, risk assessments, responses to RFIs and more
• on ethics and bias issues (including on responsible AI frameworks and controls) in connection with the implementation of artificial intelligence (including generative AI)
• a leading data analytics organisation on its privacy compliance programme and on a years-long regulatory investigation, which was completed with no adverse findings
• one of the world’s largest pharma groups on a suite of projects designed to increase agility, improve research and enhance patient outcomes through innovative use of technology
• a leading healthcare organisation on its accelerator programme, designed to identify ways in which technology can be used to improve health and wellness
• The Ministry of Defence on a suite of ICT outsourcings that are expected to deliver savings of over £1bn over 10 years
• The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority on the contentious early termination of its outsourcing to ETS of tests operations services for Key Stage 1, 2 & 3 SATs exams. QCA secured a deal under which ETS paid back £19.5m and cancelled invoices worth £4.6m

Georgina is a mentor for the prestigious 30% Club mentoring scheme in the City of London, which offers cross-company, cross-sector mentoring to women.

Georgina regularly speaks at conferences. Amongst others, she has spoken at Privacy Laws & Business, the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and Informa Connect’s IT Law Summer School events. She is also a key contributor to Linklaters’ DigiLinks blog.

She was named “Best in privacy and data protection” by Euromoney LMG Europe’s Women in Business Law Awards 2019 and has also been recognized as a Next Generation Partner in the Legal 500 for Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity, as well as IT and telecoms. She is also noted for her work on Commercial contracts and with Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology clients.

She appears in Global Data Review’s “40 under 40” list.

Georgina studied law at Newnham College, University of Cambridge.