Press Releases
HFW Launches Online Risk and Regulatory Compliance Training Platform With GDPR Courses
Global sector-focused law firm HFW has launched an online training platform and bespoke mobile app that will help organisations avoid costly fines for compliance breaches.
The platform, which has been developed over the past six months in exclusive partnership with digital training solutions company Olive Learning, will provide clients with access to HFW training on a range of risk and regulatory compliance issues.
HFW has also launched a bespoke mobile app that allows remote and secure access to the training platform on any device, including iPhone, Android, PC and Mac, without needing to be connected to the internet.
The platform has launched with two training courses for the European Union's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will become enforceable on 25 May.
Any business found in breach of the GDPR can be fined up to 4% of its annual global revenue or €20 million, whichever is greater.
HFW Partner and Management Board member Craig Neame, who led a team of the firm's fee-earners and business services professionals that worked on the project, says:
"Research has shown that around 80 percent of all data protection breaches are down to human error. It is essential that organisations act now to ensure that staff are trained and prepared for when the GDPR goes live, as the potential consequences of getting this wrong are considerable."
The GDPR is the greatest change to European data security laws for 20 years and will impact businesses across a wide range of industries and countries. The GDPR will apply to any business that is established in an European Economic Area (EEA) Member State or a place where EEA Member State law applies. It will additionally apply to any business that offers goods or services to individuals within EEA countries, or that is monitoring individuals within the EEA, such as by using internet browser cookies.
HFW's online training courses will reduce the risk of an organisation breaching the strict new rules by raising staff knowledge on the GDPR's scope and impact.
The service could also potentially mitigate any fines if a breach should occur, by demonstrating that an organisation had taken steps to create a compliant business environment.
HFW currently offers two levels of GDPR training through the platform. The first is a 35-minute awareness course, which is designed for all employees and covers the GDPR, data protection best practice and the potential consequences of any compliance breaches. The second is an in-depth data protection compliance course, which is designed for GDPR project teams and those in functions requiring detailed knowledge of the regulation. The 12 modules are based on the Information Commissioner's Office's '12 Steps' guide to GDPR compliance.
HFW trialled the 12-module course as part of a comprehensive internal GDPR training programme for its own lawyers, in anticipation of an increase in client demand for advice on the new rules. The firm now has a global team of GDPR experts spread across its 18 international offices.
The HFW training platform is designed to be cost effective and easily implementable for organisations of all sizes. It also includes a learning management system that allows organisations to track individual employee progress through the training courses and assessment questions.
While HFW has launched the platform with courses on the GDPR, the firm intends to expand the offering in future to provide training on a range of risk and regulatory compliance issues.
Neame adds:
"We have launched the platform with GDPR training, but we think there is considerable scope for it to provide practical solutions for clients on a wide range of other topics, such as bribery and corruption, cyber security, financial services regulatory, health and safety compliance, money laundering, sanctions and even social media. As the leading global crisis response firm in our sectors, we have the capability to help clients deal with any situation, but effective training could help them avoid such crises entirely."
The online training platform is the first outcome of a HFW Global Strategy Board initiative to develop alternative business offerings that exploit the firm's significant knowledge capital.
HFW Senior Partner Richard Crump, who chairs the firm's Strategy Board, says:
"Clients are increasingly looking for law firms to offer more than just legal services. The legal industry hasn't always been the quickest to adapt to changing client demands, but as a firm we pride ourselves on being entrepreneurial, creative and collaborative. We're constantly looking for new and better ways to help our clients."
ABOUT HFW:
HFW is a leading global law firm in the aerospace, commodities, construction, energy, insurance and shipping sectors. The firm has almost 600 fee-earners, including 180 partners, based in 18 offices across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. We take a progressive approach to our roles in commercial business – thinking creatively and pragmatically to support our clients. HFW prides itself on its deep industry expertise and its entrepreneurial, creative and collaborative culture.
ABOUT OLIVE LEARNING:
Olive Learning provides powerful, easy-to-use learning applications that allow businesses to train and develop staff with a rewarding, engaging experience. Olive's cost-effective and flexible solutions cover induction & on-boarding, compliance & safety, customer service, sales & product, knowledge, and technical training. The company has almost 200 staff in seven international locations, and acts for clients in more than 20 countries, including Balfour Beatty, Lidl, Tesco and the Dublin Airport Authority.
For further information, please contact:
Chris Johnson
Head of Communications
D +44 (0)20 7264 8159
M +44 (0)7976 939864
E chris.johnson@hfw.com
