Alan Friel is the co-chair of the firm’s Data Privacy, Cybersecurity & Digital Assets Practice.
Alan is a thought leader in digital media, intellectual property, and privacy and consumer protection law, with three decades of relevant experience to address the intersection of law and technology.
Prior to joining the firm, Alan was a partner at a US law firm, where he led the US Consumer Privacy practice (in which he counseled clients on compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other data privacy regimes), and the retail, restaurant and e-commerce industry initiative, as well as served as the California Digital Assets and Data Management Leader.
Having served as a general counsel for several years in the 1990s before returning to private practice, Alan has the necessary expertise to advise clients on making practical and informed business decisions, and help companies and entrepreneurs navigate the complex opportunities created by disruptive technology. With his in-house and private practice experience, he assists clients with creating data inventories, and information governance and data privacy and securities programs; developing and implementing policies and procedures for providing consumer data privacy transparency, choice and access; drafting and negotiating privacy and data security provisions for commercial contracts; evaluating privacy impact assessments; addressing data privacy and security issues in merger and acquisitions transactions; drafting and revising external and internal privacy and data security policies and procedures; and addressing complex intellectual property and consumer protection issues related to digital media, advertising and commerce.