Morrison Foerster

Privacy + Data Security

Global Co-chair

Few lawyers in the world have Miriam Wugmeister's breadth and understanding of privacy and data security laws, obligations, and practices. Co-chair of Morrison & Foerster’s market-leading Global Privacy and Data Security Group and ranked among the top in the profession by all major directories, Ms. Wugmeister is regularly called upon by some of the world’s largest and most complex multinational organizations to confront their most difficult U.S. and international privacy challenges, and develops cutting-edge solutions for clients that marry legal compliance with business realities.

Having helped hundreds of clients respond to data security incidents, Ms. Wugmeister has worked on several of the most noteworthy and largest data security incidents over the past few years. She has been praised as “a hugely enthusiastic individual who clearly loves what she does” by her clients to Legal 500, which recently named Morrison & Foerster as the 2015 Cyber Crime Firm of the Year. Ms. Wugmeister also works with dozens of companies to develop comprehensive customized incident response plans, training staff, conducting extensive table top exercises, and addressing key issues with Boards of Directors and executive management.

Ms. Wugmeister advises organizations on the planning and execution of complex global compliance efforts, assists in the negotiation of strategic deals, and defends regulatory and litigation matters relating to privacy and data security in the U.S. and internationally. She regularly provides advice on data security breach issues; the global collection, use, sharing of employee, customer, vendor, and consumer personal information; ediscovery and monitoring conflicts; social media issues; and cloud computing deals, as well as on developing data security policies and procedures and cybersecurity preparedness and response plans. She also advises clients on cutting-edge consumer privacy issues surrounding emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), telematics, and big data.

As leader of the Global Privacy Alliance (GPA), Ms. Wugmeister encourages the rational development of privacy laws around the world and monitors privacy practices, laws, and regulations globally. On behalf of the GPA’s members, she takes an active role in anticipating upcoming privacy legislation and educating regulators on the commercial implications of proposed regulations. Ms. Wugmeister developed the firm’s Privacy Library and the MoFoNotes subscription database so that organizations can keep apprised of privacy and data security compliance requirements in jurisdictions around the world. She is also co-editor of Global Employee Privacy and Data Security Law, Second Edition (BNA Books, 2011).

Brandeis University (B.S.)Boston University School of Law (J.D.)