Press Office

Publication Date: July 19, 2010

(July 19, 2010, Washington, D.C.) - Christopher Cwalina was in the eye of the storm when ChoicePoint Inc., a billion-dollar data services company serving the Fortune 1000 and government agencies, experienced the nation's first large-scale online security breach in February 2005.  As ChoicePoint's Vice President and Assistant General Counsel responsible for regulatory compliance, and the FTC and multi-state attorneys general investigations that followed, he developed experience in consumer privacy issues and had a hand in developing this area of the law.

Today, Reed Smith LLP announced Cwalina is joining its Washington, D.C. office as counsel in the firm's Data Security, Privacy & Management practice.  He was most recently Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Intersections Inc., a leading provider of identity risk management services to financial institutions.

"Few attorneys have Chris' ‘ground zero' experience with privacy and data security, or his breadth of knowledge about these issues within the financial services industry," said Mark S. Melodia, leader of Reed Smith's Data Security, Privacy & Management practice. "He brings a unique legal skill set, along with a deep knowledge of financial institutions, and keen insights from his recent in-house positions to our group's already strong breach response, litigation and regulatory capabilities."

At Intersections and ChoicePoint, Cwalina was responsible for managing regulatory and legislative affairs, as well as for compliance with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, state privacy laws, and other international data protection laws, regulations and compliance frameworks.  His experience extends to participation in the development of, and advocacy for, changes in federal data privacy and security legislation, regulation, and enforcement, as well as to handling issues of online advertising and behavioral and targeted marketing.

"It is a coup to add a lawyer with Chris' blend of government relations savvy, hands-on experience in business, and legal acumen," said Jim Gallatin, head of the firm's Government Regulatory Enforcement Group.  "He is as comfortable and effective advocating on Capitol Hill as he is providing counsel in board rooms, managing investigations and leading litigation teams.  His arrival strengthens and expands our government affairs capabilities in D.C. at a time when federal privacy and security regulations and their enforcement are among the top concerns of U.S. financial institutions and other businesses."

Prior to joining ChoicePoint, Cwalina was inside counsel at Bayer Corporation and The Dow Chemical Company, where he managed large dockets of product liability, mass toxic tort and complex litigation cases.  Earlier in his career, he was a litigator in the D.C. law firm Spriggs & Hollingsworth, and at Semmes, Bowen & Semmes in Baltimore.

"My skills and interests fit exceptionally well with Reed Smith's legacy financial services practice," said Cwalina.  "The firm's team approach will allow me to work with the best lawyers in the country to deliver the breach prevention and response services that financial institutions and other clients need to protect their data and ensure their business success."

A 1997 graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law, Cwalina is a Certified Information Privacy Professional and a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals.  He is admitted to the Bar in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Michigan and Virginia.

Cwalina is the third privacy lawyer to join Reed Smith in the past month.  Nick Tyler, formerly Global Privacy Counsel at AstraZeneca and, before that, the Chief Legal Adviser in the UK Information Commissioner's Office, joined the firm's London office in June; Frederick Lah, a Certified Information Privacy Professional and formerly a Consultant in the Financial Market Integrity Unit of the World Bank, joined its Princeton office in July.  Mark Melodia, Gina Cavalier and Paul Bond, all recognized in the 2010 Legal 500 for their data privacy and security accomplishments, are also members of the practice.

With more than 30 attorneys, the firm's Data Security, Privacy & Management practice has successfully defended more than five dozen national consumer class actions arising from security breaches or employee theft, which is more than any other law firm.  Using its proprietary "tool kit," the group has counseled on more than 125 data security incidents for clients in the health care, financial services, education, retail, high-tech and other industries, satisfying their customers, employees, business partners, government regulators and other stakeholders with their response to these unplanned incidents.  The group advises clients on issues that arise from actual and potential breaches of personal information, including compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, EC Directives on data protection, and the privacy laws of jurisdictions throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia.  Data transfer and e-discovery are increasingly important issues that the practice addresses, as are social media issues involving customer and employee relationships.

About Reed Smith

Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with nearly 1,600 lawyers in 22 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.  Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises.  Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute-resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions.  Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, technology and media, shipping, energy trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education.  For more information, visit reedsmith.com.

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