Squire Patton Boggs is pleased to announce that Lydia de la Torre has rejoined the firm as Of Counsel in the global Data Privacy, Cybersecurity & Digital Assets Practice.
Ms. de la Torre returns to the firm after having served as an inaugural Board Member of the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA), which is responsible for the implementation and administrative enforcement of the nation’s first comprehensive consumer privacy law, the California Consumer Privacy Act, where she helped shape the current and currently proposed CCPA regulations.
Ms. de la Torre is an adjunct professor of law teaching privacy, data protection, and AI courses at UC Davis Law School. She will also continue her work with Golden Data Law, a firm she founded whose mission is to provide mentorship and experiential opportunities to deserving law students. She is a member of the leadership council of the prestigious Future of Privacy Forum’s Center for Artificial Intelligence.
“We are thrilled to have Lydia rejoin Squire Patton Boggs,” said Global Managing Partner Michele Connell. “She is a nationally leading privacy and data law thought leader who has been instrumental in shaping the current US consumer privacy law landscape and is known and respected by regulators worldwide.”
Alan L. Friel, chair of the firm’s Global Data Practice added, “Lydia will help provide our clients with counsel on strategic data matters, including the shaping of potential legislation and regulatory rulemaking, AI, digital transformation, and defense of high stakes regulatory enforcement actions. As we are more frequently advising at the C-suite and Board level on business-critical data-related legal issues, Lydia’s role with our firm could not come at a better time.”
Ms. de la Torre is a dual-qualified attorney with substantial experience working on complex international data protection issues across both the US and Europe. She has served as senior privacy counsel at leading international businesses including PayPal and also practiced data protection law at a prestigious Spanish law firm.
“Lydia’s cross-Atlantic experience fits well with the increasingly international nature of our practice, and she will also be a valuable resource for our outstanding EMEA and APAC teams and global clients,” Friel stated.
Ms. de la Torre added, “The important work we did at the CPPA was incredibly rewarding and challenging. I am honored to have helped advance the groundbreaking efforts of the CPPA and I am excited to bring those experiences to bear for Squire’s global clients. The data law landscape is continually evolving, and Squire continues to be at the forefront of the needs of international businesses. I am very proud to join a firm whose commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion aligns perfectly with the mission of Golden Data Law. I look forward to working in an environment that champions open dialogue, collaboration, and a focus on ensuring equal opportunities to all.”
Squire Patton Boggs’ Data Privacy, Cybersecurity and Digital Assets Practice is ranked by Lexology’s Global Data Review, the data law and regulation magazine which identifies and profiles the world’s leading 100 law and consulting firms, as “Elite,” the highest level awarded by the publication which is reserved for the top 25 firms. The Data Practice is comprised of over 80 lawyers in 14 countries.