Whitney Lee is a litigation associate in MoFo’s Washington, D.C. office. Her practice focuses on advising clients on sensitive matters relating to national security, risk, and crisis management, including matters that involve multijurisdictional investigations, congressional oversight, privacy, data security, and significant media attention.
Prior to joining MoFo, Whitney practiced as an associate in the Cybersecurity & Privacy Group of an international law firm. While she was studying at Columbia Law School, she received Parker School Honors for excellence in the study of international law and served as the head notes editor for Columbia’s Journal of Transnational Law. In addition, Whitney interned at the New York State Office of the Attorney General in the Public Integrity Bureau.
Whitney is well versed in the area of criminal law, with a focus on international cybercrime. She holds an LL.M. in International Criminal Law from the University of Amsterdam and a B.A. in Government from Harvard University. Before law school, Whitney spent her time working at the Center for American Progress, an independent nonpartisan policy institute dedicated to developing and communicating ideas for policymakers that will lead to real change and protect our democracy.
What was it that initially drew you to Privacy + Data Security law?
Privacy + Data Security is such an interesting area of the law and it is still in an exciting growth phase. In our group, we encounter new and interesting challenges every day and it is so gratifying to be able to support our clients and face those challenges together. Also, a large part of what drew me to MoFo was the opportunity to work with experts in the fields of privacy + data security and crisis management such as Miriam Wugmeister, John Carlin, and David Newman.
How does the Privacy + Data Security practice intersect with, or improve upon, similar practice areas?
Privacy + Data Security intersects with most practice areas in some way or another, from healthcare and life sciences, to M&A, to crisis management. We live in an age where companies in every sector have moved nearly everything of value into a digital space where that information is vulnerable to accidental disclosure and targeted criminal action. Today, almost all companies have a new area of risk management and that’s cyber risk.
Could you tell us about someone who was a role model to you, either personally or professionally, and why?
My grandfather, who was a Tuskegee Airman, has always been a role model to me. He served during World War II and lived through some of the darkest periods in our nation’s history. As our country weathers its current challenges, I reflect on the strength and determination that he showed during his life and I try to emulate it.
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