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Edwards Wildman
Each month, Lawyer Monthly takes an in-depth view in to the work of a particular legal professional, or group, and focuses on the issues they face on a day-to-day basis, the challenges they navigate, and the legislative changes that affect them and their work. This month, we speak to Richard Graham, Ted Augustinos and Laurie Kamaiko, three lawyers from international law firm, Edwards wildman.
Richard Graham is a technology and privacy lawyer and a partner in the firm’s London office and is a member of its Privacy and Data Protection Group. Ted Augustinos is a partner in the firm’s Hartford, Connecticut office, as well as co-Chair of the firm’s Privacy and Data Protection Group and of its Data Breach Response Team, and is also a member of the Insurance and Reinsurance Department. Laurie Kamaiko is also co-Chair of the Privacy and Data Protection Group and a member of the Insurance and Reinsurance Department, in the firm’s New York office.
Q
Please tell me about your firm and your work within it.
Edwards Wildman is an international law firm with 650 lawyers spanning 14 offices in the US, UK and Asia. We have significant depth and international recognition in a number of areas, including privacy and data protection, insurance and reinsurance, intellectual property and private equity. The three of us are all active in
advising clients on privacy and data protection issues, although each of us has a somewhat different focus. As more and more companies collect, maintain and transfer data about
individuals – often of residents of multiple jurisdictions – compliance with the myriad legal and regulatory requirements relating to the collection, use, storage and disposal of data, and the response to lost, stolen or otherwise compromised data, is increasingly challenging. Richard advises organisations on
complex commercial transactions, with particular focus on global technology transactions and the international transfer of data. Ted advises our clients on data breach
preparedness and response. Outside of the area of privacy and data protection, he works on mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory matters, mostly for our clients in financial services. Laurie’s focus is on the issues faced
by clients in the insurance industry, including advising on insurance product development and policy wordings, helping companies identify their exposure to privacy and data protection issues, and addressing coverage issues raised when claims are submitted under existing policies.
Q 34 FEBRUARY 2012
what is your favourite aspect of your work and why?
The innovations in technology, and the evolving legal and regulatory issues
surrounding its use, are by far the most fascinating part of our practice. For example, over the course of the last few years, cloud computing has transformed the way in which organisations procure their networks, servers, storage, applications or services. All this has created extremely challenging legal issues on a global scale around intellectual property, privacy and data protection, data breach notification and insurable risks. These issues are further complicated by the overlay of additional compliance issues in heavily regulated sectors, such as the financial services, insurance, communications and healthcare sectors. For the three of us, a favourite aspect of our practices is our working with each other and with the other members of our Privacy and Data Protection Group who practice in these various sectors to find solutions for our clients and their particular needs.
Q
what are the main cases you work on, and within which sectors? what are the key challenges and complexities to arise from this?
Not so long ago, few companies outside the financial services and healthcare sectors paid attention to privacy and data protection. Now it has become a