Tom is a seasoned technology lawyer with a strong focus on data privacy law, technology, media and communications law, technology-related IP and life sciences. Clients praise him for his commercial acumen and his pragmatic and down-to-earth style. 

His practice covers a wide range of advisory, transactional and litigation work in international and domestic matters relating to data privacy, TMC and life sciences. Tom has experience in:

• Data protection - Tom regularly assists clients in domestic and multi-jurisdictional privacy compliance projects. He advises clients on all aspects of data protection compliance, including data protection policies and procedures, the use of data in the provision of consumer and business products, big data, responding to data subject access requests, cross-border data transfers, cloud computing, data security breaches, transfers of data to regulators, data privacy in life sciences, the use of data in customer relationship management systems and processes, employee monitoring and website compliance issues, BYOD, whistleblowing hotlines, fintech, data privacy litigation, etc.
• IT transactions including IT sourcing projects; cloud projects; digital transformation projects; etc.
• IT advisory work (eg. advising on legal aspects of digital disruption, e-archiving, electronic signatures, etc.)
• Legal aspects of e-commerce (eg. advising on how to ensure that websites comply with e-commerce laws and regulations; drafting or reviewing website policies, online privacy policies; etc.)
• Network & information security (eg. advising clients on cyber security requirements and risks; etc.)
• Telecom & media regulatory matters including pre-contentious and contentious regulatory work (eg. assisting telecoms clients in their dealings with the regulatory authorities; representing clients in court proceedings regarding telecoms regulatory disputes; etc.)
• IP transactional work (eg. drafting and negotiating cross-border patent & know-how license agreements; drafting and negotiating complex R&D agreements; drafting and negotiating IP assignment agreements; drafting and negotiating IP reps & warranties; etc.)

Tom is perfectly trilingual.

Tom is ranked tier 1 in Legal 500’s latest shortlist of leading practitioners in EU data protection. Chambers Europe ranks Tom as “Up and coming” in the category Technology, Media & Telecommunications in Belgium. Corporate International Magazine recently recommended Tom as “rising star of the year in Belgium” for telecommunications law.

Tom frequently speaks at conferences and seminars on technology-related and privacy-related topics. He is also frequently asked by the international press to share his views on recent trends and developments in this area. Recent examples include: 

• Financial Times (13 September 2020): Data privacy expert, Tom De Cordier comments in Financial Times on the concerns of EU companies seeking guidance on data transfers to the US after the recent ECJ ruling on the Privacy Shield. Read more here
• SC Media (17 August 2020): Data protection expert, Tom De Cordier, discusses the challenge businesses face after the recent invalidation of the Privacy Shield. Read more here 
• Euractive Digital Brief (25 June 2020): Tom has been quoted in the Euractive Digital Brief:'To GDPR or not?', about the review of the application of the GDPR across the EU. Read more here 
• Computer Weekly (24 June 2020): data privacy expert, Tom De Cordier, comments on the effectiveness of the GDPR and on the role of technology in economic revival. Read more here
• Bloomberg (2 June 2020): "Tech That Saves EU Firms From Covid-19 Could Kill Them in Court". Read more here