SAN FRANCISCO – Jan. 14, 2019 – Kate Black has joined global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP as a shareholder in the firm’s San Francisco office and as a member of the Cybersecurity, Privacy & Crisis Management and Intellectual Property & Technology practices. Prior to joining the firm, Black served as the first global privacy officer for 23andMe, a consumer genetics and research company.
Black’s practice focuses on data privacy and information protection issues in the areas of consumer technology, digital health, and genetics. She provides companies with comprehensive, practical strategies for meeting their regulatory obligations, while building and maintaining public trust and advancing innovative models of health care research and delivery. In her in-house role, Black managed every aspect of global privacy programs, including supervising privacy assessments, providing product strategy and counseling, managing complex vendor and partner agreements, and overseeing security policy audits.
“I can’t speak more highly of the 23andMe team and my time there. I am proud of the work we did to build and oversee an industry-leading privacy program at the world’s largest consumer genetic testing company. My experience was invaluable in understanding emerging technologies, growth, strategic development, and legal compliance challenges in a fast-paced start up,” Black said. “Now, I’m excited to apply my experience more broadly to other companies across the health and consumer technology sector facing similar challenges. Greenberg Traurig provides a unique, global platform to work with a wide range of companies facing the complex legal issues in privacy and data management today. I look forward to working closely with the firm’s privacy and corporate teams, and adding my health technology experience to help grow the practice.”
Black has been a featured speaker and frequent lecturer on data privacy and cybersecurity, data analytics, digital health, mobile medical applications, and privacy issues related to genetic and health research. She also regularly provides advice on proposed regulatory and legislative changes that will impact the health technology environment.
“We are excited to expand our team with the addition of Kate, whose depth and breadth of experience in the legal issues involved in the cybersecurity and data privacy areas is most impressive,” said Ian C. Ballon, co-chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Global Intellectual Property & Technology Practice Group. “Her ability to provide counsel regarding the most cutting edge and essential aspects of technology will be of great value to our clients.”
Prior to joining 23andMe, Black worked in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., where she developed regulatory and policy guidelines for electronic health records and a variety of health technology issues. She served as an adjunct professor of privacy and technology law at Golden Gate University School of Law from 2016-2018 and as a member of the Board of Directors of Women in Security and Privacy from 2016-2017.
Black received her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, and her B.S. cum laude in Health Science from Florida International University.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Cybersecurity, Privacy and Crisis Management Practice: Greenberg Traurig’s Cybersecurity, Privacy and Crisis Management Practice is comprised of a multidisciplinary group of attorneys and professionals located throughout the world. The team is dedicated to developing strategies to address privacy, data security, and information management issues including privacy audits, policies and procedures, compliance with data security laws and industry standards, employee privacy, record retention/electronic discovery, cross-border data transfer, data breach readiness and response and litigation and dispute resolution, as well as the defense of data privacy, security breach, and TCPA class action suits.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2018 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.