BeesMont Law

Regulatory & Risk Management

Privacy & Governance Counsel, Head of Regulatory and Risk Management

Gretchen is a Bermuda and UK qualified barrister and a member of the Privacy, Security & Information Law and Regulatory & Risk Management practice groups at BeesMont. She further provides executive level oversight of the BeesMont business standards of equity, diversity and inclusion to support the experience of staff as well as firm engagement with clients, vendors and the Bermuda community.

Gretchen works closely with our Corporate attorneys to advise commercial organisations on Bermuda regulatory considerations as well transactional employment and privacy issues arising from mergers & acquisitions, business re-organisations and strategic planning. She further provides legal-based policy advice to regulated and quasi-regulated commercial clients in response to the codes of practice, standards and directions issued by local regulators.

Her practice emphasises compliance with the soon to be fully in force, Personal Information Protection Act 2016 (PIPA) and Bermuda’s access to information regime, the Public Access to Information Act 2010 (PATI). In this respect, she regularly attends leading offshore conferences and summits in the United Kingdom and the United States covering global privacy regulation and enforcement.

She has experience advising the public sector on non-contentious issues arising from employment in Bermuda including human rights, employee privacy, immigration and benefits claims as well as compliance with and interpretation of establishing statute, Financial Instructions and Ministerial Directions.

Gretchen has advised and represented clients in personal injury, employment & tortious claims, estate and debt collection matters in Bermuda’s Magistrates Court, Supreme Court and Employment Tribunal. She has further represented clients in connection with human rights-related applications to public authorities.

Representative Legal Matters

Gretchen has been involved in a broad range of matters. In particular, she has advised on:

Privacy policies and data protection agreements and advised on Bermuda aspects of overseas intragroup agreements and model clauses. Data asset vulnerabilities and privacy breaches. Conflicts of interest and bribery considerations in the context of employment as well as commercial transactions and operations involving private organisations as well as public authorities. Policy adoption and implementation in the context of Conflicts of Interest, Cyber-Risk and Cyber Reporting for regulated commercial organisations. Enforcement of restrictive covenants, executive termination & severance. Represented same sex couple in successful marriage licence application filed on the advent of the tabling of the Domestic Partnership Bill. Generic and specialist training and awareness programs covering sexual harassment and discrimination, employment law and PIPA.

Prior to joining BeesMont in January 2017, Gretchen was an Attorney at an international offshore law firm in Bermuda.

English

Member of Bermuda Human Resources Association (BHRA)

Member of the Association for Corporate Racial Equity (ACRE)

Former Member of the Architects Registration Council (2016-2018)

Bar Professional Training Course (Very Competent) - City University London, The City Law School

LLM (Distinction) - University of Nottingham, International Commercial Law

LLB (2.1) - University of Buckingham

The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, 2011 Barrister, Bar of England & Wales, 2013 (non-practising) Barrister & Attorney, Bar of Bermuda, 2013 Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (ACIArb), 2015 Notary Public and Commissioner for Oaths, Bermuda, 2016

Chair of the Bermuda Bar Sub-Committee for the Advancement of Privacy Law and Appropriate Regulation of the Legal Industry (APLLI) (2019 – present)

Co-Chair of the Bermuda KnowledgeNet Chapter of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) (2020-present)

2022 Bursary Awardee for IAPP Global Privacy Summit (GPS) Conference

50 for the Next 50 Honoree

Gretchen is dedicated to the advancement of women’s equal representation in the corporate and legal community. She further is regularly engaged in local community affairs with a particular focus on education and marginalized individuals.

In 2023, she was honored to be selected as one of “50 for the Next 50”. This initiative celebrated a collection of diverse female alumnae for their influence on the future of their professional fields, their communities, the world and the future of Williston Northampton.

In January 2019, the Bermuda Bar Council approved Gretchen’s proposal to establish the Bermuda Bar APLLI Sub-Committee. The purpose of the APLLI Sub-Committee is to seek to identify and address legal and industry issues affected by the implementation of the statutory requirements of PIPA and to facilitate discussion regarding legislation which is currently in force and overlaps with PIPA (such as PATI, reporting obligations under the Bribery Act 2016, and anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing obligations).

Gretchen actively supports the advancement of human rights in Bermuda through the Human Rights Act 1981 and fair employment practices and has provided pro bono representation before the Employment Tribunal in connection with a claim for the unpaid wages and benefits of low income, non-English speaking foreign nationals against a Bermuda employer.

She has contributed to articles circulated by IFLRIOOO, Mondaq, Bermuda Parent magazine and the Royal Gazette. Gretchen was also a monthly Columnist for the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce’s monthly e-newsletter, The Insider, from 2014 – 2016.