Hunton & Williams’ Lisa Sotto To Speak on the Importance of Cross-Border Data Transfers to Global Prosperity

NEW YORK — May 20, 2014 — Hunton & Williams LLP, in coordination with the US Chamber of Commerce, recently issued “Business Without Borders: The Importance of Cross-Border Data Transfers to Global Prosperity,” a report which highlights the benefits of cross-border data transfers to businesses in the international marketplace. The report underscores the importance of developing data transfer mechanisms that protect privacy and facilitate the free-flow of data, and also explores opportunities for new data transfer regimes.

On May 20 and 21, lead Hunton author Lisa J. Sotto, head of the global privacy and cybersecurity practice, will introduce the report at a two-day workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia, hosted by AmCham Indonesia and the US Chamber of Commerce, in coordination with local Indonesia associations. The event, titled “A Digital Trade and Cross-Border Data Flows Conference: Unleashing Indonesia’s Digital Economy and Innovation Sector,” will focus on digital trade and provide a platform for companies to discuss the policies necessary to ensure success in the Information Age. Sotto will address the degree to which today’s businesses rely on cross-border data flows and digital commerce.

Under Sotto’s leadership, the firm’s privacy and cybersecurity practice has been ranked as the top law firm globally for privacy and data security by Computerworld magazine in each of its four surveys, and rated by Chambers and Partners as the top privacy and data security practice in its Chambers Global and Chambers USA guides.

Bridget Treacy, head of the UK privacy and cybersecurity practice, is coauthor of the paper, which recommends movement away from rigid, one-size-fits-all cross-border data transfer rules toward more outcome-focused frameworks. The report advocates implementing strong, binding trade agreement commitments that prohibit data localization requirements, support unimpeded data flows, and encourage interoperability among privacy regimes.