Companies are facing swingeing penalties if they’re in breach of tough new data protection regulations coming down the line this year.

The warning came from commercial law expert Claire Sumner who has been appointed to head up the commercial and travel section of Swayne Johnson which has a base in Tattenhall, near Chester, and offices across North Wales and Cheshire.

Claire, from Connah’s Quay, specialises in contracts, intellectual property and data protection where big changes are due in May when the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation comes into force.

She said: “It really ups the ante as far as the penalties for getting things wrong go on data protection.

“It will affect every company that provides goods and services to individuals in the EU or that monitor those individuals’ behaviour and the fines for being in breach of the regulations are four per cent of annual turnover or £17 million, whichever is the greater.

“For most companies that would mean game over so we have done a great deal of work on getting businesses ready for this.

“We’ve put together a fact sheet and we are also looking at providing workshops for businesses because apart from the fines there are criminal implications as well so these new regulations have to be taken seriously.”

Claire was headhunted by Swayne Johnson who cover a wide area with offices at Tattenhall, near Chester, as well as in Denbigh, Ruthin, St Asaph, Llandudno and Bangor.

Swayne Johnson managing director Sarah Noton said: “North Wales and Chester are areas of real growth with businesses expanding and new businesses appearing and we are looking to strengthen our commercial arm.

“Claire has a wealth of experience in that sector and in the area and also has the advantage of being local so she knows the patch and knows what’s happening here.

“We have the new Development Bank of Wales being set up in Wrexham, the Mersey-Dee Alliance and strengthening links with Manchester and Liverpool and we need to be able to provide the services that business needs here and Claire will help us do that.”

Claire, who is moving to Llanasa, went to Connah’s Quay High School and has worked in the legal profession throughout her career, first with North East Wales firms Keene and Kelly and Geoffrey Morris and Ashton and then with Chester law firm Richard Lee where she graduated as a legal executive lawyer.

After that she worked for eight years for the Global Travel Group where she specialised in travel law and then in financial services, most recently with Knights Professional Services in Chester.

She said: “I was delighted to be approached by Swayne Johnson because not only are they very professional but they are also very nice people and that’s always the most important thing.

“I very much want to get involved with the commercial side of the business, get under the car bonnet of things and be involved in the day to day running of the businesses.”