GREENSBORO, N.C.—The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) taking effect on May 25, 2018, and the UK's similar Data Protection Bill will bring sweeping changes to Europe's treatment of privacy and data protection. In particular, these new laws will extend to many US organizations with no offices or employees in Europe, including colleges and universities which have study abroad programs or other activity with persons in Europe.

Womble Bond Dickinson's Orla O'Hannaidh and Allen O'Rourke are working closely with clients to prepare for the GDPR and other emerging issues in European privacy law. On December 18, they discussed how the GDPR will impact US colleges and universities at a meeting convened by the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) for admissions and financial aid professionals, and held at Guilford College.

Womble Bond Dickinson's Privacy and Data Security Team, including experienced privacy lawyers from the firm's UK offices, is available to assist and advise clients in efficiently addressing GDPR-related issues. Click here to learn more from the GDPR Compliance Task Force at Womble Bond Dickinson.

Orla O'Hannaidh is a veteran intellectual property attorney who helps clients manage cybersecurity and data privacy risks. In particular, she works with companies on complying with the wide range of state, federal and international laws governing customer and employee data privacy, cybersecurity, internet and telecom marketing/advertising and transfers of data across international borders.

Allen O'Rourke represents clients in cyber investigations, government enforcement, and civil litigation related to data breaches and cyber attacks. He also counsels clients on data privacy and cybersecurity issues. Before joining Womble, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, where he focused on cybercrime.

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