Alaister Johnson

Alaister is a counsel in our TMT practice based in our Singapore office, having previously spent over a decade with the firm in London and Hong Kong, including a secondment to the privacy team of a UK G-SIFI bank.

Drawing on his extensive experience in the UK, European and Asian markets, he advises clients on a broad range of technology, digital infrastructure, data, cyber and sourcing issues. His clients operate in a wide range of – in particular heavily-regulated – sectors, including telecoms and financial services.

Alaister specialises in helping clients implement, and navigate the challenges attached to, complex technology and digital infrastructure contracting arrangements, business-critical outsourcings, fintech initiatives and other digital solutions. In addition, Alaister works closely with the firm’s Corporate practice on the technology, data and separation issues associated with M&A transactions, with a focus on complex carve outs and deals in the tech and digi infra space.

He also advises on all aspects of UK, EU and Asian privacy and data protection laws, with particular expertise in complex cross-border information governance projects. He counsels clients on their most innovative and challenging privacy matters, ranging from international transfer solutions, multi-jurisdictional data protection compliance programmes and cyber incidents, to the commercial and regulatory implications of AI, AdTech, big data and other cutting-edge technologies, issues surrounding the lawful interception of data and high-profile regulatory investigations.

Work highlights

Alaister’s recent work highlights include advising:

• DigitalBridge / Vantage on the completion of a €2.5bn investment partnership with MEAG, Infranity and DigitalBridge and AustralianSuper’s €1.5bn investment in Vantage's EMEA development platform for a significant minority stake
• A Saudi gigacity on:
  • Contracting arrangements for its first hyperscale data centre, including its colocation anchor tenancy with a global hyperscaler and related supply arrangements
  • Its suite of precedent data centre colocation agreements and a variety of other commercial/procurement arrangements
• Unilever on the €4.5bn disposal of its global tea business to CVC
• Caesars on the US$4bn takeover of William Hill and subsequent carve-out and disposal of the international business of William Hill outside of the United States to 888
• Nestlé on its sale of Nestlé Skin Health, a leading global provider of skin health products, for an enterprise value of CHF 10.2bn
• A “big tech” company on multiple acquisitions of AI start-ups
• BT, JD.com, PwC, AstraZeneca, Centrica, Unilever, BlackRock and many other clients on key data protection projects, cyber strategies and cross border transfer solutions (including Binding Corporate Rules applications)
• A multi-national insurer in response to a high-profile ransomware attack on its travel insurance business in Asia

Alaister is a regular speaker at external conferences, including for the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and TMT Finance. He has been ranked for a number of years by the Legal 500 as a “Next Generation Lawyer” and “Rising Star” for data protection, privacy and cybersecurity and is recognised as a key member of the Linklaters tech team.

Alaister studied history at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge.