Dean Armstrong KC

Senior Harrods employee Kelly Walker-Duncalf allegedly introduced young women to Mohamed Al Fayed for the purposes of sexual abuse. Ex-employee Claire testifies about how Walker-Duncalf dismissed her allegations about Al Fayed. Warning, this video contains distressing themes.

Humanoid robots from Oslo-based @1x_tech 1X are to be tested in homes. At this stage, they will need remote human support to assist. Excellent legal advice necessary: tcrn.ch/4iVgVQa

A fascinating insight into the North Korean crypto thieves who are deliberately losing money on trades in order to bypass anti-money laundering detection controls.... only to make more overall. #cryptoassets #AML bit.ly/3FuYCD8

I am delighted to have been asked to speak at Paris Arbitration Week 7-11 April on 'Data Disputes: What is the #Data Really Worth?' This topic is central to debates around #AI, #facialrecognition, data protection, #hacking and so much more. Roll on Paris!

The cryptocurrency market is currently navigating turbulent waters, with Bitcoin's value dipping below the $90,000 threshold. reut.rs/43e9UFs

A warning to brands! Christian Dior has experienced the awkwardness of a fake Dior #crypto meme coin being advertised on its Instagram account. Data protection must exist in every part of a business – a brand is only as strong as the weakest link. bit.ly/4i7vbFf

At the Paris #AISummit, J D Vance said that the EU is committed to too much #AI #regulation. Content moderation is one of Vance's biggest concerns whereas the UK is concerned about 'pretty different' language to the first AI Safety summit in 2023. reut.rs/4gEDBCP

Steve Yun at @ton_blockchain is launching a $100m VC fund to facilitate #DeFi trading on its #blockchain. Closely aligned with @telegram, with its 900m users, Yun's vision: "Through leveraging the Telegram media platform, we can put #DeFi in every pocket." bit.ly/3QdPnsN

Could #AI become sentient, capable of experiencing pain? This is a topic of concern to AI practitioners and thinkers. It is certainly true that AI will increasingly support decision-making affecting #ethical outcomes and #law in the real world. bit.ly/3Q0J9N5

The @deepseek_ai launch has created disquiet in @OpenAI around #distillation - a way of transferring the learning made by existing #AI software. @Microsoft has invested $13bn in OpenAI so will be keen to protect its investment. bbc.in/3CE14px

A lawsuit in the US claims that LinkedIn Premium users have had their private messages shared with other companies to train AI models. It is said that LinkedIn added a privacy setting that allowed user data to be shared without clients opting in. bbc.in/4gdxgxZ

Capital markets are transferring Real World Assets (#RWAs) using #tokenisation – #property, #debt, #equity, and other traditional #assets to the #blockchain. The trajectory is forecast to hit $500bn in 2025. bit.ly/40ou9i2

A year of contrasts! Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the last year to define the law in #data, #crypto and #blockchain. Meanwhile we continue our fight for the survivors of abuse by #AlFayed. Viva 2025!

Thank you to our incredible clients, industry colleagues and the business and global community who have helped us in so many ways. Wishing you a peaceful and happy festive season.

December has already shown strong sales for #NFTs. Ethereum recorded $92m in NFT sales just last week – sales have been buoyed by the new releases of #PudgyPenguins and #CryptoPunks, demonstrating huge enthusiasm for digital assets. Where next? bit.ly/4iz3s1g

Ronnie Gibbons was captain of the first professional women’s team in England. Now, she tells The Athletic how she was twice trapped in a room above Harrods in 2000-01 as Fulham’s owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, tried to “forcefully” kiss her & then groped her. This is Ronnie's story.

Thank you to everyone who supported my continued ranking in Band 1 for Cryptoassets in the @ChambersGuides UK Bar Guide 2025. #crypto

Thank you to @thelegal500 for awarding me Leading Silk for Crypto and Blockchain Assets 2025. #crypto #blockchain #lawyer

Wednesday’s big event. #harrodssurvivors

It’s not often that I reflect on the interesting career that I have had and the varied work that crosses my desk. Let’s hope that as legal professionals we can truly support our clients and shine light into areas that are misunderstood.