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Michael is an International Competition partner in the firm's Washington, D.C. office.

Companies are struggling to understand how to comply with rapidly changing and sometimes conflicting privacy obligations. For entities outside of the US seeking to do business in the States, approaching and understanding the patchwork of state and federal privacy laws can be daunting, especially since US privacy laws vary depending on the type of activities in which companies engage, the individuals from whom they gather or use information, and the industry in which the company operates. While there are some “general” privacy laws (notably in California and Virginia) those are the exception rather than the rule.
Continue Reading Tools for Understanding Global Privacy Obligations

Cyberattacks have become big business from the standpoint of attackers.  Threat actors range well beyond cults of old, and now including sophisticated state actors, large businesses organized for the very purpose of cyber breach and theft, and complex threat networks that aggregate information formerly treated as innocuous.  This is a real risk for companies as we look forward to the remainder of 2021. At the same time, ransomware is changing the state of cyber insurance, with regulators across the globe entering the field to govern the conduct of attacked businesses in this climate. Regulations cover terms of ransom payments and subsequent obligations to persons whose information goes out the pipes.  For more on these risks, you can listen to the recent Nota Bene podcast episode (on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotify, or Stitcher) with Sheppard Mullin partners Kari Rollins and Michael Cohen.
Continue Reading Managing the World of Cybersecurity in a New Era

For multinationals, keeping up with changes in privacy laws and compliance requirements can be very difficult, as they vary widely across borders and within nations. The norms and expectations of privacy regulations even vary across demographics and generations.
Continue Reading Sheppard Mullin Podcast Reports on Current Hot Topics in Privacy and Data Security