Sidley Austin LLP has promoted three Texas lawyers to partner. The newly elected Texas lawyers are Tara Lancaster and Charles Persons in the firm’s Dallas office and Katy L. Lukaszewski in the Houston office. Lancaster is in the firm’s tax group, Persons is in Sidley’s restructuring practice group, and Lukaszewski is in the firm’s energy group. The three join 28 Sidley lawyers elected firmwide effective January 1, 2021.

“We could not be prouder of the talented lawyers that make up our 2021 partnership class,” said Mike Schmidtberger, chair of Sidley’s Executive Committee. “They are a diverse group that represent a broad mix of practices and offices across geographies. Their many accomplishments to date and dedication to client service have earned them this prestigious recognition. We wish them all the best as they embark on this exciting adventure.”

PHILADELPHIA – December 16, 2020) — Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC is pleased to announce that Anthony H. Chwastyk has joined the firm as senior counsel in the Philadelphia office. He is a member of the Business Transactions Group and chair of the firm’s new Trademark & Copyright Law Group.

Chwastyk serves as counsel to companies in highly regulated and growing industries such as healthcare and e-commerce. He previously served as corporate counsel for a large New Jersey-based nonprofit healthcare system, and as general counsel to a mid-sized New Jersey industrial supplier.

Chwastyk helps clients navigate compliance and regulatory challenges, drawing on his in-house experience to help clients avoid potential liabilities. He reviews, negotiates, and implements high-value software agreements, vendor contracts, real estate transactions, and financing arrangements. His practice also involves advising clients on the process of applying for and protecting their trademark and copyright rights.

Chwastyk interned for The Honorable Mark I. Bernstein of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Drexel University and his B.A., summa cum laude, from La Salle University.

Washington, DC (December 16, 2020) – Venable LLP is pleased to announce that Nora E. Garrote, co-chair of the Intellectual Property Transactions Group, has been appointed to the newly created role of partner in charge of diversity and inclusion. Garrote will develop and implement programs, outreach, and mentoring opportunities that foster diversity, equity, and inclusion within the firm.

Venable knows that the key to understanding the full spectrum of business and legal options lies in approaching a situation from a diverse set of viewpoints. The firm recruits, develops, and promotes highly skilled lawyers, paraprofessionals, and support staff with varied perspectives, from a wide range of racial, ethnic, cultural, and social backgrounds. While the firm is proud of its progress, recent events have once again highlighted that there is still much work to be done to advance diversity and inclusion. The appointment of  Garrote reaffirms Venable’s ongoing commitment to this endeavor.

In this role, she will advise firm management on diversity and inclusion strategies and the firm’s progress for both attorneys and business professionals. Garrote will collaborate closely in the furtherance of diversity and inclusion with the firm’s division chairs, practice group leaders, attorneys, and professional staff responsible for recruiting and hiring, professional development and training, work assignments, and human resources. She will also continue to build external partnerships that support our goals and raise awareness within the firm of diversity and inclusion issues and best practices.

Garrote’s practice focuses on technology and intellectual property transactions and counseling, internet and new media law, technology transfers, and entertainment. With more than 30 years of experience and deep familiarity with the full range of established and evolving technologies, she assists companies with comprehensive technology, intellectual property, and contracting matters. She previously chaired Venable’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and has played an instrumental role in growing the firm’s partnership with the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), the premier organization fostering equality in the legal profession.

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 16, 2020)—Perkins Coie announced today the addition of 17 white collar and financial services litigation attorneys from the prominent firm of Richards Kibbe & Orbe (RKO), marking the largest such practice expansion in the country in recent years. The addition of the Chambers-ranked group, which serves a range of financial institutions, significantly expands Perkins Coie’s New York office and its national White Collar & Investigations and Securities Litigation practices.

The RKO group has decades of experience representing institutional and individual clients in significant government investigations and enforcement actions and in securities and business litigations. These cases involve allegations of financial fraud, antitrust, securities and commodities law violations, insider trading, bribery, money laundering, OFAC violations, and FCPA violations, among others. The RKO group also brings extensive prosecutorial and regulatory litigation experience; partners Lee Richards and David Massey are both former Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of New York.

In addition to Richards and Massey, other veteran partners joining Perkins Coie’s New York office from RKO include Shari Brandt, Paul Devlin, Rowan Gaither, Arthur Greenspan, Margaret Meyers, Matthew Riccardi, James Walker, and Daniel Zinman. Joining Perkins Coie’s Washington, D.C., office will be partners David Daniels and Jamie Schafer. The partners will be joined by counsels Rachel Mechanic and Andrew Podolin, and associates Rebecca Salk, Jacob Taber, and Hellen Park.

Perkins Coie launched its New York office just nine years ago in the aftermath of the 2008-2010 global financial crisis. Today, New York is a cornerstone of Perkins Coie’s growth initiatives. In 2019, the firm relocated to a 66,000-square-foot midtown office space at 1155 Avenue of the Americas.

Along with notable growth in both revenue and lawyer headcount over the past five years, Perkins Coie has one of the highest lateral retention rates in the legal industry. In addition to being named to Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For®” list for the past 18 years, the firm has been widely recognized for its diverse and inclusive culture, earning recognition from (among others) Microsoft and Intel for the diversity of its legal teams and from the Human Rights Campaign as a best place to work.

Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., is pleased to announce that Scott Cruz, an Officer in the firm’s Employment & Labor practice group, is listed in the 2020 edition of Crain’s Chicago’s Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting and Law.

The list recognizes Chicago-area professionals in accounting, consulting and law who have overcome challenges and bias to rise to the top of their professions. Crain’s says the honorees – many of whom have stepped up to more visible roles in diversity and inclusion initiatives – have “shown the ability or power to effect change in their role or area of practice, serve as a role model or mentor, and have assumed a leadership position outside their organization.” Crain’s also notes that the honorees have risen to challenges in an “extraordinary year” to help their clients, colleagues and communities.

Cruz represents public and private sector employers in Chicago, Southern Illinois, and throughout the Midwest in all aspects of labor and employment law, including civil litigation and preventative counseling. He represents employers in state and federal courts and administrative agencies involving claims brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, retaliatory discharge, breach of contract, labor arbitration, and class actions. He is particularly versed in all aspects of state and federal law relating to minimum wages, overtime, exemptions, and wage payment issues. His work also involves training management and employees on workplace legal issues and conducting workplace investigations and legal audits.

Cruz is a board member with Alivio Medical Center, a not-for-profit whose mission is to increase Hispanic access to comprehensive, affordable quality health care.

The complete list of the 2020 Crain’s Chicago Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting and Law can be viewed at: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/awards/crains-2020-notable-minority-executives-accounting-consulting-law.

HOUSTON – (December 15,, 2020) – Elizabeth A. Feeney recently joined the Houston office of the national law firm, Chamberlain Hrdlicka, as an associate in the Commercial Litigation practice, where she will focus primarily on labor and employment matters.

Feeney brings two years of experience in commercial litigation. Prior to relocating to Houston and joining Chamberlain Hrdlicka, she worked as a clerk for the Honorable Judge John Roach, Jr. of the 296th District Court in Collin County, Texas, and as an associate for a Fort Worth-based mid-size law firm.

Feeney graduated from the Texas Tech University summa cum laude, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in legal studies. She received her JD degree cum laude from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where she was the Associate Managing Editor of the SMU International Law Review and Chief Student Attorney of the VanSickle Family Law Clinic. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas.

Stout today announced the addition of Ellen Kuplic as a Director in the Legal Management Consulting practice. Based in Chicago, Kuplic brings over 25 years of legal experience developing, implementing, and managing a wide variety of programs and processes that achieve efficiencies, cost savings, risk mitigation, and modernization.

Prior to joining Stout, Kuplic held many in-house roles at bp serving as a trusted advisor to general counsel, senior attorneys, and other stakeholders, including Global Legal Operations Manager, Director of Legal Learning, Discovery Coordinator, and Senior Litigation Paralegal. As a visionary leader who is relentless in her commitment to transform operations, she led the development of a long-term legal technology roadmap, implemented tools to monitor and manage internal and external costs, created preferred vendor programs including a robust law firm panel program, introduced standardization with the adoption of systems and technology, and rolled out new workflows to create process simplification across departments.

Stout’s Legal Management Consulting team assists corporate counsel and law firms in managing their business. They work side-by-side with legal organizations, their IT and business partners, and third-party providers to contain risk and cost through process improvement, efficient data management, and technology usage.

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP has announced that Jonathan D. Jay has joined the firm’s Business Litigation practice group as a partner in the Minneapolis office. Formerly a partner with Hellmuth & Johnson PLLC, where he led the intellectual property and insurance defense litigation groups, Jay is a seasoned trial attorney and defends businesses accused of alleged infringement in a wide variety of intellectual property disputes. Jon also represents property and casualty insurance companies directly in various coverage matters.

Jay advises businesses and insurance carriers on a range of matters related to patent, trademark, trade dress, copyright and trade secret disputes. In addition, he represents clients in complex commercial litigation, including class action defense and mass tort cases, along with first party property coverage cases. He has successfully represented clients before juries and courts—nationwide—in federal and state courts and for years has been preferred national defense counsel for a major insurance company, defending its policyholders in IP matters.

Jay received his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota – Duluth and his J.D., cum laude, from University of Minnesota Law School. He began his law career as a Special Assistant City Attorney in the Criminal Division in St. Paul, before joining Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly in 1998. He was an owner of Leffert Jay & Polglaze for 12 years before joining Hellmuth & Johnson in 2014.

Buchalter is pleased to announce the promotions of Northern California based Benjamin H. Heuer, and Scottsdale based Shaleen D. Brewer and Renee M. Shprecher to Shareholder.

As a member of the Commercial Finance Practice Group, Heuer splits his time between the San Francisco and Sacramento offices. He focuses his practice on matters involving asset based lending, factoring, corporate finance, and loan workouts and restructurings. Heuer represents banks, asset based lenders, factors, specialty finance companies and other non-bank financial institutions in connection with senior-secured, asset-based, syndicated, mezzanine, cross-border, and unsecured financing. In addition, he advises FinTech companies on various aspects of their businesses.

Brewer is a member of the Labor & Employment and Litigation Practice Groups in Scottsdale. She has a diverse practice that includes structuring, negotiating and documenting commercial contracts of all varieties and corporate planning, formation and governance; asset protection and risk management; stock and asset sales and acquisitions; corporate dissolutions; and counseling companies on day‐to‐day operational matters for businesses of all sizes and types. In addition, Brewer has also effectively guided her clients through a variety of litigation matters including real property matters, defense of commercial and contract claims, business and partnership disputes, and labor and employment matters.

Based in Scottsdale, Shprecher is a member of the Real Estate and Commercial Lease Practice Groups. Her real estate practice focuses on development and commercial real estate transactions including leasing, acquisitions and sales, and financing. Shprecher represents local and national developers and investors in all phases of real estate development, including the preparation and negotiation of leases, purchase agreements, development agreements, financing and loan documents, SNDAs and estoppel certificates, CC&Rs, easement and reciprocal access agreements, and the review of all phases of due diligence and title materials. Further, her practice also includes assisting developers with various business and corporate issues.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Robert M. Couch has rejoined the firm’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group following a year-long tenure serving as the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Federal Financial Monitor for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Prior to his most recent role with HUD, Couch was a member of Bradley’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group from July 2009 to January 2020. Among his many roles in government and industry services, Couch previously served as General Counsel of HUD, President of Ginnie Mae and Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Couch has also served as a commissioner on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Commission, a member of President George W. Bush’s Task Force on the Status of Puerto Rico, President and CEO of New South Federal Savings Bank in Birmingham, and General Counsel and CFO of First Commercial Bancshares.

Couch’s practice focuses on counseling clients on significant and sensitive legal matters involving oversight, risks and interplay with regulatory and government sponsored entities affecting the financial services industry. In addition, he assists clients with a broad array of legal and strategic issues across the housing industry.

Chicago, New York – Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce the names of its newly elected partners, listed below by office and area of practice. These individuals will formally become Partners in the Firm effective January 1, 2021.

The new Sidley partners are as follows:

Boston
Daniel S. Rawner, Private Equity

Century City
Payom M. Pirahesh, Private Equity

Chicago
Daniel C. Craig, White Collar: Government Litigation and Investigations
Lawrence P. Fogel, Commercial Litigation and Disputes
Ian Helmuth, M&A
Gregory A Marrs, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
Andrew E. Nelson, Investment Funds
Teresa L. Reuter, Labor, Employment and Immigration
Catherine Y. Starks, Healthcare

Dallas
Tara M. Lancaster, Tax
Charles M. Persons, Restructuring

Houston
Katy L. Lukaszewski, Energy

London
Max Savoie, Banking and Financial Services
Jade Williams-Adedeji, Real Estate

Los Angeles
Eric Schwartz, Commercial Litigation and Disputes
Collin P. Wedel, Commercial Litigation and Disputes

Munich
Andreas Steiger, Restructuring

New York
Pietro Fontana, Global Finance
Sharon Lee, IP Litigation
Sara N. Shouse, Investment Funds
Noam M. Waltuch, Tax

Palo Alto
Sandi Knox, Emerging Companies and Venture Capital

Washington, D.C.
Stacy Crosnicker, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
Jen Fernandez, Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy
Deeona R. Gaskin, Food, Drug and Medical Device Compliance and Enforcement
Gretchen E. Lamberg, Banking and Financial Services
Clayton G. Northouse, Privacy and Cybersecurity
Andrew R. Stewart, Environmental

With 2,000 lawyers in 20 offices around the globe, Sidley is a premier legal adviser for clients across the spectrum of industries. Follow Sidley on Twitter @SidleyLaw.

Davis Wright Tremaine continues its 2020 lateral hiring campaign with a new partner in Los Angeles who expands the firm’s litigation team focused on technology companies. Rasheed McWilliams, who joins the firm from Zuber Lawler & Del Duca, is a trial lawyer focused on IP infringement litigation and the defense of California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) cases.

Prior to his time at Zuber, McWilliams was president and general counsel of iPEL, Inc., where he spearheaded the implementation of the company’s strategy for the enforcement and licensing of its large portfolio of patented technologies in the U.S. and China.

McWilliams’ practice complements those of two leading technology litigators who joined the firm earlier this year: David Gossett, former head of litigation at the FCC, and Spencer Persson, who focuses primarily on privacy and security class actions in California and across the country. “We’re continuing to build a litigation practice that handles the whole array of cutting-edge litigation that technology companies face, and Rasheed’s addition is central to that vision,” said Gossett. “Rasheed adds a significant depth of experience to our technology and litigation practices and is a perfect fit for our strong and expanding team,” added Persson.

McWilliams received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2003 where he was a member of the Black Allied Law Students Association. He received his B.S., magna cum laude, from Morehouse College in 1999. He is the 12th new partner to join the firm this year. All of this year’s additions have been in the firm’s targeted industries: technology, healthcare, media/entertainment, energy, financial services and restaurants/food and beverage.

Lowenstein Sandler is pleased to announce that Laura Fraedrich has joined the firm as senior counsel in the Global Trade & Policy group. She will be based in the firm’s rapidly growing Washington, D.C., office.

Fraedrich has nearly 25 years of experience counseling clients on complex international trade matters, including import and export controls and sanctions, across a range of industries, including technology, financial services, energy, and telecommunications. A former partner at Jones Day and Kirkland & Ellis LLP, her practice focuses on helping companies achieve their business goals while complying with U.S. regulatory regimes, such as those enforced by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In addition to counseling clients on foreign direct investment requirements and assisting with CFIUS filings and mitigation negotiations, Fraedrich applies her deep subject matter knowledge to a broad array of customs matters, including ruling requests, prior disclosures, protests, penalties, seizures, liquidated damages, and audits covering classification, valuation, country of origin, and trade preference issues.

She also represents clients on issues arising from Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) economic sanctions, export control restrictions under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and Export Administration Regulations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and trade remedies (including antidumping and countervailing duty matters and Section 201, 232, 301, 421, and 337 matters).

Fraedrich’s addition is yet another strategic step in expanding the firm’s regulatory offerings in the nation’s capital. “As our office continues to deepen its bench of regulatory lawyers, Laura’s deep understanding of trade issues will complement our antitrust and litigation practices here in Washington,” says head of Lowenstein’s D.C. office, partner Zarema A. Jaramillo.

Lowenstein’s Washington, D.C., office has tripled in size since its opening six years ago. Jonathan L. Lewis and Mark E. Schamel are other notable 2020 additions as partners in the respective practices of Antitrust & Trade Regulation and White Collar Criminal Defense.

The firm’s Global Trade & Policy practice helps U.S. and foreign companies manage trade risks, ensure regulatory compliance, and effectively communicate their positions to legislators, law enforcement officials, and policymakers. The White Collar and Antitrust practices work together to represent clients in criminal antitrust matters (investigations and trials), class action antitrust lawsuits, actions brought by customers and suppliers, actions by or against competitors, and monopolization cases. Lawyers across these groups have diverse government backgrounds and an in-depth understanding of governmental agencies, providing a strong advantage in investigations brought by the DOJ, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the SEC, the IRS, OFAC, DDTC, BIS, state attorneys general, and other regulatory bodies, as well as on issues concerning the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA); criminal antitrust; health care, securities, and tax fraud; political corruption; and regulatory compliance.

New York, NY, Dec. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hanzo Hold has become favored as the “best practice” legal and compliance application to manage Enterprise data within Slack, now allows customers to extend their matter management to G Suite (Google Workspace) data. Starting with “Follow-the-Link,” customers can identify critical Google data nested within Slack threads, messages, and groups, retrieve that data, and combine both Enterprise data sets into a single, surgical export for import into today’s industry-standard review platforms.

Following this initial launch, Hanzo will be adding support for Google Drive, Gmail, and other Google Workspace data sources — with the roadmap accelerating quickly from there. In 2021, Hanzo Hold will be the authoritative source for internal investigations, security checks, legal holds, and compliance archiving across all dynamic, complex content types.

Follow-the-link functionality for G Suite within Slack is just one example of how Hanzo applies its mission by leveraging its deep experience in dynamic data today to help customers manage tomorrow’s data challenges.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Birmingham partner Michael A. Thomason Jr. has been selected as one of The M&A Advisor’s 2020 Emerging Leaders. The M&A Advisor’s 11th Annual Emerging Leaders Awards celebrate the industry’s emerging leaders in M&A, finance and turnaround who have reached a significant level of success in the industry before the age of 40.

Thomason chairs Bradley’s Corporate and Securities Practice Group. He advises public and privately held clients, from emerging growth companies to large corporations, in the areas of business formation, mergers and acquisitions, investment and financing transactions, securities compliance, joint ventures and a variety of other transactions and corporate matters. He has significant experience in private equity and venture capital transactions, representing both private equity companies and other investors in their investments and acquisitions, as well as emerging growth companies in their formation, capital raises and sale.

The M&A Advisor ’s Emerging Leaders Award winners were chosen from a pool of prominent nominees for their notable accomplishments in business and in service to the community. An independent panel of judges reviewed submissions and selected this year’s winners, who will be formally recognized on January 28, 2021, at a virtual awards gala. The complete list of 2020 honorees can be seen here.

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, is pleased to unveil its latest initiative to foster diversity and inclusion within the firm. With “Breaking Through: Littler’s D&I Comp Initiative,” the firm is aiming to double the number of attorneys of color, women and LGBTQ+ shareholders in the top quartile of Littler’s compensation system within five years.

Led by a working group formed early in the year that consists of stakeholders across the firm – including members of the leadership team, Diversity & Inclusion Council and corporate management – Littler has identified several strategies to increase opportunities and propel diverse attorneys into the top quartile of the firm’s compensation system. This includes creating additional business development, leadership and other training programs that provide the skills and resources needed for career growth. An additional focus is on further expanding access to client opportunities, such as ensuring that diverse attorneys are considered for lead roles on new client matters and in transition/succession plans for existing client relationships.

Breaking Through: Littler’s D&I Comp Initiative is the latest initiative that showcases the firm’s dedication to diversity and inclusion. The firm is currently completing a two-year long initiative to provide unconscious bias training to every lawyer in the firm. Additional diversity and inclusion initiatives include the Career Advocacy Program, which selects high-performing diverse associates and pairs them with some of the firm’s most influential leaders and with general counsel of the firm’s current and former clients to help them develop the skills and visibility needed to progress in their careers. The firm also has four affinity groups – Bollo (Black/African American), ‘Ohana (Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern, North African and Pacific Islander), Pride (LGBTQ) and Reunión (Hispanic/Latinx) – which provide diverse attorneys with another platform to expand and develop professionally.

Among many recognitions for its efforts, Littler has earned Mansfield Certification Plus for the past two years from Diversity Lab, an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law.

The Excellence in Diversity Award for a Law Firm was presented to Duane Morris, LLP for outstanding efforts made by a law firm, bar association, and organization to promote diversity in the legal profession, in their organization or among their peers.

Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., is pleased to announce that Christopher A. Pickett, an Officer, member of the board of directors, and chief diversity officer at the firm, has been named one of Missouri Lawyers Media’s 2021 “Law Firm Leaders” in its annual Missouri Lawyers Awards.

The “Law Firm Leaders” category recognizes chairpersons, managing partners or other law firm executives who demonstrated extraordinary vision, innovation and leadership during the previous year. Missouri Lawyers Awards winners across multiple categories will be honored in a virtual ceremony on Feb. 11 and will be profiled in a special section of Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Missouri Lawyers Media publishes Missouri Lawyers Weekly and several other legal newspapers in Missouri.

As chief diversity officer, Pickett leads Greensfelder’s efforts to foster an equitable and inclusive workplace, overseeing the firm’s diversity initiatives. He also is a frequent presenter to businesses, bar groups and other organizations on topics related to equity and inclusion, including dismantling assimilation and increasing diversity in the legal profession. As leader of Greensfelder’s Equity, Retention and Advancement Committee, Pickett focuses on growing, retaining and advancing a diverse group of employees, with a particular focus on groups that have been historically underrepresented in law firms. In 2013, Pickett was named a fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, participating in a national leadership program for high-performing attorneys with diverse backgrounds.

Pickett has received numerous other awards for his work on diversity issues and in business law, including:

• Diversity & Inclusion Award from Missouri Lawyers Media (2018);
• Named one of “100 St. Louisans you should know” by St. Louis Small Business Monthly (2017);
• Excellence in Business Performance Award from the St. Louis American Foundation of the St. Louis American newspaper serving the region’s African-American community (2017);
• St. Louis Business Journal Diverse Business Leader Award (2016); and
• Named one of St. Louis’ most intriguing people to know by Who’s Who, Diversity in St. Louis (2015).

In his practice, Pickett represents clients from across the country in an array of business litigation matters, particularly in the areas of securities and higher education.

A former public defender, Pickett received his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from St. Louis University.

Hunton Andrews Kurth today announces the fifth edition of ‘Data Protection Law and Practice’, written by Rosemary Jay, Hunton Andrews Kurth Senior Consultant Attorney, and published by Sweet & Maxwell. This edition has been re-written to provide a thorough and expert review of the current state of data protection law in the UK, together with details of relevant background context.

Increasingly, data protection is a business critical issue, and personal data lies at the heart of most organisations, whether public or private sector. Frequently, personal data underpins the value of commercial organisations, while technological innovation ensures that ever larger quantities of personal data are created, used and shared around the globe. Consequently, the law governing data protection has evolved to reflect the complexity of data processing, and the challenge of protecting individuals’ rights in their personal data.

The introduction of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR”), which was supplemented in the UK by the 2018 Data Protection Act and subsequently incorporated into UK law, was the most significant change in the data protection landscape since the 1998 Data Protection Act. This new regime has already had a widespread impact on how organisations use personal data, how individuals enforce their rights, and on how regulators ensure personal data is safeguarded. Given such far-reaching changes to the data protection regulatory environment, the comprehensive and insightful commentary offered by this latest edition of Rosemary Jay’s book has been eagerly awaited.

The book includes contributions from significant industry thought leaders and covers the GDPR, its application in the UK, the implementation of Directive 2016/680 (the Law Enforcement Directive) and the new data protection regime which governs the UK intelligence services, as well as the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations and the revised rules on the monitoring of business communications. The impact of Brexit is also considered throughout the book.

Global law firm Hogan Lovells announced that Courtney Devon Taylor has joined the firm as a partner in the Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment practice in Philadelphia and New York. Taylor joins the firm from Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, where she was vice-chair of the firm’s Securities Litigation Practice Group.

Licensed to practice in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Taylor represents global and U.S. based clients in commercial litigation and regulatory enforcement matters. Her experience includes securities class action defense, shareholder derivative suits, M&A related litigation, and litigation emanating from other transactions involving contests for corporate control. She has tried a variety of cases to verdict. She has represented broker-dealers in significant disputes, including a rare and successful FINRA Enforcement Hearing.

Taylor’s clients operate in industries that include financial services, insurance, technology and sports. She joins the firm’s Financial Institutions and Insurance Sector, and the Sports, Media & Entertainment team.

Taylor earned her J.D., with honors, from Emory University School of Law, and a B.A. in Government from Wesleyan University.