McDermott Will & Emery LLP

Privacy & Cybersecurity

David P. Saunders (CIPP/US, CIPM) is an experienced litigator who focuses his practice on privacy and cybersecurity matters. David helps clients through the life cycle of their data privacy needs. He helps them mitigate and manage risks related to data privacy and cybersecurity by assisting their government affairs teams with the development of new privacy legislation, their legal and compliance teams through the implementation of privacy programs, and their litigation teams through regulatory investigations and civil class action litigations.

David has experience working with clients in a wide variety of industries. From food and alcohol to telecommunications and energy, and from PE funds and portfolio companies to small businesses and start-ups, David helps clients design a data privacy strategy that works for them.

David has experience in all aspects of privacy program implementation from conducting risk assessments and drafting privacy policies to planning around cross-border data transfers, and negotiating vendor agreements. He regularly counsels on GDPR, GLBA, TCPA, CAN-SPAM, and the growing list of state law privacy laws and regulations, including CCPA. He is also there for his clients in their most difficult times, having navigated data breaches, and successfully resolved both regulatory investigations and class action litigations related to corporate privacy practices. David also regularly performs due diligence for corporate transactions.

David has worked with a number of state attorney general’s offices and federal regulators, and advocated on behalf of clients in the telecommunications, cybersecurity, health and financial services sectors. His work also includes collaborating with clients to provide testimony and comment on existing and planned data privacy legislation at the state and federal levels.

David maintains an active pro bono practice, having represented inmates in various actions in state and federal courts, and providing privacy program development, counseling and training to non-profits.