BIRD & BIRD (BELGIUM) LLP

Their core work

Bird & Bird is a major international law firm with deep specialization in technology, data protection, and digital regulation. In H2020 projects, they provide legal expertise on data governance, GDPR compliance, privacy by design, and information security frameworks. Their role is to ensure that research consortia handling sensitive data — whether in transport, health, or public safety — operate within European regulatory boundaries. They translate complex legal requirements into practical guidance that technical partners can implement.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2017-2018) focused on data privacy and security in transport and telecommunications — sectors where big data exploitation raised regulatory questions. By 2018-2019, their focus shifted decisively toward GDPR implementation, privacy by design, and health data governance. This mirrors the regulatory landscape: as GDPR came into force in May 2018, demand for specialized legal guidance in EU research projects surged, and Bird & Bird positioned itself as the go-to legal partner for data-intensive consortia.

Moving toward health and social care data regulation, likely to be valuable in future projects involving AI-driven health platforms and sensitive personal data.

How they like to work

Bird & Bird exclusively participates as a specialist partner — never as coordinator — which is typical for law firms providing targeted legal services within larger technical consortia. They work in large, multi-country projects (71 unique partners across 18 countries), joining wherever their data protection expertise is needed. They are a hub connector: each project brings them into a different consortium, giving them unusually broad network reach for a legal services provider.

Extensive network of 71 unique consortium partners spread across 18 countries, built through participation in large-scale Innovation Actions and CSAs. Their reach spans transport, health, telecom, and security sectors — making them one of the better-connected legal specialists in H2020.

What sets them apart

Bird & Bird brings something most research consortia lack internally: deep, practitioner-level expertise in European data protection law from one of the world's leading technology law firms. Unlike academic legal researchers who analyze regulation theoretically, Bird & Bird advises Fortune 500 companies on GDPR compliance daily — their H2020 contributions carry real-world enforcement experience. For any consortium handling personal data, health records, or cross-border data flows, they are a credible and experienced legal partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• LeMO
  Largest funding (EUR 283K) — addressed the legal complexity of big data exploitation in European transport, combining data privacy with open data policy.
• DEFeND
  Directly focused on GDPR governance tools, placing Bird & Bird at the core of translating EU data protection regulation into implementable technical frameworks.
• SMART BEAR
  Long-running project (2019-2025) applying big data to elderly health and independent living — represents their expansion into sensitive health data regulation.