Nick is a versatile corporate and commercial lawyer, with a practice focused on three principal areas: risk and crisis management strategies; governance and compliance frameworks; corporate and commercial transactions. He also acts as in-house counsel to companies that are not yet ready to make an internal legal appointment.
Nick has acquired a unique blend of skills from his time as senior counsel at the specialist global risk and security consultancy, Control Risks. He helps his clients take smart risk-based decisions quickly and effectively. He has helped to respond to and resolve a wide range of business and legal issues in jurisdictions as diverse as the US, Colombia, the EU, Russia, Iraq, Iran and across Africa.
Prior to working in-house, Nick spent a decade at a major US law firm and a leading City of London firm where he specialised in capital markets, M&A and joint venture / shareholder transactions.
Nick understands that businesses need to take sensible, risk-based decisions. He looks to add value by providing legal advice that is focussed on achieving the best outcome for the client. He is always responsive and diligent in his approach to problem-solving.
Nick Allan, Group CEO
Control Risks
Expertise
- Risk management and security: risk maturity/risk assessment, risk reviews, legal and operational risk mitigation procedures and programmes
- Crisis management: preparedness, response and recovery
- Commercial contracts
- Corporate law
- Policy, compliance and governance: especially data protection, anti-bribery and anti-corruption, ethics, and conflicts of interest
- Brand and reputation
Experience
Risk Management and Security
- Internal risk management: duty of care, insurance programmes and portfolios, business expansion (new offices, new service lines, new hires, SOPs).
- Broad experience of risk mitigation in the security sector, including advice on RUF (rules on use of force), PIPs (post-incident procedures), MOUs with sovereign military forces and/or police authorities.
- Deep insight acquired while advising on compliance, procedures, and risk-based approaches within the business intelligence and due diligence sector
- Risk assessments and risk management frameworks for operations in MENA and sub-Saharan Africa.
- On-site business risk reviews (legal, operational, compliance, finance, ethics, etc.) in Germany, Netherlands, Russia, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.
- Supervision of external counsel on a variety of matters from IP disputes to licence infringements, restrictive covenants, personal injury claims, local law obligations for establishment of new business (corporate, licensing, real estate, employment etc.).
- Due diligence requirements for business partners, suppliers and associates.
Crisis Management
- Supporting businesses and individuals in the aftermath of terrorist attacks, RTIs (road traffic incidents) and other operational situations where fatalities or serious injuries were sustained or business continuity threatened.
- Supervising interviews (including protecting the interests of the business and advising affected personnel) conducted by outside counsel concerning terrorist or kidnap incidents.
- Responding to statutory notices, demands and subpoenas issued by the SFO, the DoJ, the US courts, German police or other authorities.
- Speaking and writing on crisis management from a lawyer’s perspective (the Association of Corporate Counsel annual conference; Practical Law Practice Note and articles; interviews).
Data Protection Training and Compliance
- Advising on data processing agreements, data transfer agreements, fair processing notices.
- Registration under the EU:US Privacy Shield framework.
- Preparation of data protection notices for external (e.g. websites) and internal (e.g. company policy) use.
- Responding to subject access requests.
- Preparation and delivery of business briefings on practical implications of GDPR.
- Preparation and delivery of compliance training modules on information security and data protection.
Ethics, Compliance and Governance
- Advising on governance frameworks and the interaction between various policies, procedures and controls
- Advising on adoption of a code of ethics, standards of conduct, safeguarding policy, anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy.
M&A, Investment and Shareholder Agreements
Other Corporate/Commercial
- Group transfer pricing arrangements – contractual (intra-group) agreement covering IP/branding, online services and consultancy services.
- Drafting memoranda/delivering briefings to group and regional executive committees, group risk committee and full board regarding high-risk contracts, proposed new lease terms, insurance corporate structures, local ownership requirements, licensing/regulatory obligations.
- Corporate policy matters covering areas such as conflicts of interest, data protection, DRAD (data retention and deletion, archiving and destruction), sanctions compliance, subcontractor and supplier vetting and management.
- Commercial partnerships, collaborations and referral arrangements with a variety of businesses spanning the insurance, medical, information security, financial analysis, logistics and litigation sectors.
- MSAs, standard terms and conditions, RFPs/tenders for tasks and projects ranging in value from £5k to £25m.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Career
Nick qualified as a solicitor in 2003. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2019, he worked at the following firms:
- Control Risks
- Cummins
- Berwin Leighton Paisner
- Dechert