Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Expands Privacy and Data Protection Practice

PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced today that Beth George has joined the firm's privacy and data protection practice as Of Counsel in the San Francisco office. George previously served as deputy general counsel at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), where she advised senior leadership on high-profile policy and oversight matters. She currently is a lecturer on surveillance law and technology at the UC Berkeley School of Law, and she serves as a senior adjunct fellow for the New York University School of Law's Center for Law and Security and as an affiliate at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC).

"As a national security lawyer who has worked extensively in cybersecurity, Beth has distinguished herself while serving at the highest levels of government, including the U.S. Senate, the DoD, the  Department of Justice, and the White House," said Doug Clark, managing partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. "Beth's in-depth understanding of data security and privacy matters is inherently valuable to companies confronting data breaches and privacy-related threats. She also has the fortitude and focus needed to assist clients involved in sensitive government and internal investigations. We're elated that she's joined our firm."

George's practice focuses on the representation of companies in complex cybersecurity and data security matters, including providing advice on legal challenges faced by companies when preparing for and responding to cybersecurity breaches. She also advises clients in internal and government investigations, privacy and compliance matters, and in responding to law enforcement requests for data. In addition, she represents clients in other national security-related areas, including applications before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and for foreign acquisition of licenses issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 

George has provided legal advice on some of the largest and highest profile cybersecurity breaches and data collection efforts in the last several years, including serving as the lead White House associate counsel for the response to the Office of Personnel Management's 2015 data breaches, advising the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as the sole attorney for the committee's bi-partisan review of intelligence collection activities following Edward Snowden's unauthorized disclosures of classified materials, managing highly sensitive internal investigations, and practicing before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. 

Most recently, George served as the deputy general counsel for legislation for the DoD, where she led the department's responses to congressional oversight and investigations. In 2017, George was awarded the Secretary of Defense's Award for Outstanding Public Service, the second highest award given to civilians.

From 2011 to 2016, George served in various roles for the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), including as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, counsel to the Office of Law & Policy, and honors attorney and attorney-adviser for the Office of Intelligence. On detail from the DOJ from 2014 to 2015, she served as a professional staff member and counsel to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. George served as associate counsel in the Office of the White House Counsel from 2015 to 2016, also on detail from the DOJ. At the White House, she led response for the office on cybersecurity and national security matters.

George earned her J.D., magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from the New York University School of Law in 2010. Following law school, she served as a law clerk for the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel, and then to Chief Justice Theodore A. McKee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. George received a B.A., summa cum laude, from New York University in 2001. She is admitted to practice in New York.

About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
For more than 50 years, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offered a broad range of services and legal disciplines focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of corporate governance and finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities litigation, employment law, intellectual property, and antitrust, among many other areas of law. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offices in Austin; Beijing; Boston; Brussels; Hong Kong; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.

SOURCE Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

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