Commercial Dispute Resolution > McDermott hires cybersecurity and privacy partner in London
McDermott hires cybersecurity and privacy partner in London
Published by: Naomi Jeffreys at 11/09/2017
McDermott Will & Emery has strengthened its global cybersecurity and data privacy practice by hiring...
McDermott Will & Emery has strengthened its global cybersecurity and data privacy practice by hiring an experienced international lawyer in London.
Ashley Winton joins Chicago-headquartered McDermott Will & Emery with experience spanning cyber-breach response, the lawful interception of data and the conflict of laws in relation to corporate and government investigations and litigation. His clients include trade associations, government entities and major corporations.
Before joining the firm, Winton worked as a partner at White & Case from 2006 to 2014, where he focused on regulatory and commercial issues for a range of clients. He then joined Paul Hastings in 2014 as a partner before joining McDermott this month.
Winton has significant experience in advising on the impact of cybersecurity and privacy law on telecommunications, international data transfers and cloud services. He has also advised banks, financial institutions and FinTech companies on their dealings with the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Andrew Vergunst, head of the firm's London office, said in a statement: "We are delighted to welcome Ashley to the firm. We have been rapidly growing our European privacy and cybersecurity capabilities and Ashley's arrival follows the recent addition of partner Romain Perray to our team in Paris."
Perray's addition came ahead of the General Data Protection Regulation's (GDPR) implementation which will take effect in 25 May 2018. The UK government has confirmed that Brexit would not affect the commencement of the GDPR.
Perray was joined by associate Julie Uzan-Naulin, whose practice focuses on digital and data protection law.
McDermott's global cybersecurity and data privacy practice team obtained a victory at the US Supreme Court in May last year, in the Gobeille v Liberty Mutual case, where they argued that self-funded insurance plans are exempt from Vermont law purporting to the disclosure of health information to the state.
Elsewhere, Sidley Austin has also added to its privacy and cybersecurity practice by hiring Wim Nauwelaerts, who has experience in preparing for the GDPR, data transfer strategies, data security and breach requirements, and compliance training.
His clients include companies in the life sciences, technology, and new media sectors.
Alan Raul, founder and co-leader of Sidley Austin's global privacy and cybersecurity practice commented that "adding Wim to our outstanding team of privacy practitioners in Europe, led by John Casanova and William Long, is a logical next step in ensuring we continue to provide clients with the highest level of service in developing and implementing privacy, data protection and cybersecurity programmes around the world".
In June this year, McDermott welcomed back healthcare litigator Michael Austin as a partner to the firm's Chicago office. He had previously worked as head of DLA Piper's healthcare practice for five-and-a-half years.
Austin was among a number of new hires, including in the firm's antitrust and competition practice, which saw the firm add Daniel von Brevern and as a partner in June this year..
That same month, Jones Day hired Samir Jain,the former White House senior director for cybersecurity policy at the National Security Council in Washington, DC.
While at the White House, Jain oversaw cyber operations, counter-advisory campaigns and law enforcement access to information. He also spent over a year-and-a-half at the Department of Justice, where he worked as the principal advisor to the deputy attorney general on cybersecurity and telecommuncations.
Hunton & Williams relocated cybersecurity specialist Aaron Simpson from New York to London in October last year.
Simpson focuses his practice on internal investigations, data-driven commercial agreements and cybersecurity issues.
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