Morrison Foerster is an international law firm with lawyers practicing throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe. Click to discover more.

mofo_share_image.jpg

Morrison Foerster

common-default.jpeg

Terms / Notices

Cookies

Privacy Policy

Reporting Hotline

Attorney Advertising

Alumni

  Linkedin

MoFo LinkedIN

  Facebook

MoFo Facebook

YouTube

MoFo Youtube

Morrison Foerster - Footer

UK Sets Example for How U.S. Can Weaken Algorithms Targeting Kids

You have not solved the recaptcha challenge yet or session expired, try again.

Email Disclaimer

Disclaimer

Unsolicited e-mails and information sent to Morrison Foerster will not be considered confidential, may be disclosed to others pursuant to our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/about/privacy-policy.html">Privacy Policy</a>, may not receive a response, and do not create an attorney-client relationship with Morrison Foerster. If you are not already a client of Morrison Foerster, do not include any confidential information in this message. Also, please note that our attorneys do not seek to practice law in any jurisdiction in which they are not properly authorized to do so.

Feedback

mofo-logo-2022.svg

People

Capabilities

Resources

About

Culture

Offices

Careers

Stay Connected

Melissa Crespo, Annabel Gillham, Jonathan Newmark, and Mercedes Samavi published an article in Bloomberg Law that assessed the...

We are Morrison Foerster — a global firm of exceptional credentials. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, investment banks, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Our lawyers are committed to achieving innovative and business-minded results for our clients, while preserving the differences that make us stronger.Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

About Morrison Foerster

people-default-header-desktop.jpg

people-default-header-mobile.jpg

Default Meta Data

Melissa Crespo, Annabel Gillham, Jonathan Newmark, and Mercedes Samavi published an article in Bloomberg Law that assessed the effects of excessive screen time on minors and how legislation in the U.S. and UK seeks to address addictive online behavior.Read the <a href="https://www.bloomberglaw.com/product/blaw/bloomberglawnews/business-and-practice/BNA%2000000195-8608-d166-a595-97c89df20001" target="_blank">full article</a>.

UK Sets Example for How U.S. Can Weaken Algorithms Targeting Kids

Sign Up

Melissa Crespo helps clients navigate a wide range of challenging privacy compliance and data security matters with a focus on the health information and the health care sector. She regularly helps clients develop and implement privacy compliance programs and advises companies on managing risk in connection with cutting-edge technologies and data initiatives.Melissa has particular experience in advising clients on compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other laws governing the collection and use of medical and health information.Melissa regularly counsels clients responding to data breaches and security incidents. She has successfully defended clients in numerous regulatory inquiries regarding data security practices, including investigations by the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, state attorneys general, and foreign regulators following data security incidents.Melissa also advises multinational companies on the privacy and data security aspects of their M&A transactions and has experience drafting and negotiating tailored privacy and data security contract provisions.In 2019, 2020, and 2021, The Legal 500 US recognized Melissa as a “Rising Star” in the area of cyber law, data privacy, and data protection. In 2016, she was shortlisted for the “Future Leader – Gender Diversity” award at the inaugural Chambers USA Diversity Awards. Melissa was a 2015 recipient of the Burton Award for Legal Achievement, which honors excellence in legal writing.Melissa earned her J.D., cum laude, from Howard University School of Law.

Melissa Crespo

Partner

Annabel is a partner at Morrison Foerster and co-Managing Partner of the London office. As a member of our renowned global data privacy team, Annabel specializes in employee data protection and data crisis management. Described by clients as “excellent, very pragmatic , efficient and completely client-oriented”, she works across a variety of sectors, including technology, retail, and financial services, and frequently manages multi-jurisdictional advice for international clients. Her practice includes advice on:<ul><li>cross-border labor and employment matters</li><li>employee litigation</li><li>data privacy compliance management</li><li>data security breach management</li><li>internal and regulatory investigations</li></ul>Annabel regularly helps senior management and HR executives with the “people” aspects of takeovers, restructuring projects, business and share sales, and outsourcings. She also advises employers in relation to sensitive claims, such as unlawful discrimination, equal pay, and whistleblowing. Annabel also advises on team moves.She supports her clients on all aspects of General Data Protection Regulation compliance and regularly advises organizations facing ICO enforcement action. She has developed particular specialties in complex areas, such as the collection and use of data relating to criminal offenses and the application of data protection law to insolvency practitioners.As an experienced litigator with experience in helping clients defend group litigation, Annabel helps clients develop their strategy for responding to regulatory action and court claims relating to the use of employee and customer personal data. She regularly designs and presents employment and data protection law training and updates to senior managers and HR executives and is involved in preparing responses to UK government consultations.In addition, Annabel is qualified to practice in the British Virgin Islands, where she spent three years advising on cross border commercial litigation and insolvency matters, including high value board and shareholder disputes, freezing orders, and third-party disclosure orders.

Annabel Gillham

Managing Partner, London

Jonathan Newmark is an of counsel in Morrison Foerster’s Privacy + Data Security Group. He advises clients across industries on data protection best practices, national and international regulatory compliance, information governance, product development, consumer trust and safety, transaction diligence, crisis management, and cyber incident response.Jonathan counsels clients ranging from emerging to late-stage to public companies in a variety of industries on complex data privacy and cybersecurity issues related to local, global, and industry-specific legal frameworks, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive, the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, state and federal wiretapping laws, the California Privacy Rights Act (CCPA/CPRA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA).As part of his practice, Jonathan has negotiated data transfer and processing agreements, implemented vendor risk management programs, developed information security policies and procedures, guided product development and design, and advised on corporate transactions. Jonathan has also coached clients through largescale data breaches and regulatory scrutiny related to information security and consumer protection, which has included representing clients in front of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the New York and Massachusetts attorneys general, and foreign regulators.Jonathan’s representative matters have comprised designing and implementing a large social media organization’s internal technical investigation related to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, advising on the development of a large technology company’s metaverse platform, designing trust and safety programs for an artificial intelligence chatbot application and a teen social media platform, and coaching a mobile banking business through cooperation with the Department of Justice and law enforcement authorities in consumer fraud investigations.Jonathan also maintains an extensive pro bono practice, which has included counseling nonprofit organizations on data protection best practices as well as successfully representing LGBTQ+ and other refugees in their applications for asylum and immigration status in the United States.Jonathan is designated as a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.Jonathan received his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was recognized as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He received his B.A. from Harvard College, where he graduated cum laude.

Jonathan Newmark

Of Counsel

Mercedes Samavi is a member of both the Technology Transactions Group and the Global Privacy Group.She advises domestic and international clients in relation to commercial contracts, tech licensing, digital regulatory compliance, outsourcing, and M&A and investment deals. As part of her privacy work, Mercedes advises clients on a spectrum of complex privacy compliance matters, ranging from developing global and pan-European privacy programmes and strategies, responding to regulatory requests and investigations and implementing data protection contractual arrangements. In the words of her clients, “Mercedes Samavi is incredibly responsive and a dream to work with. Nothing is ever too much trouble, she will always go the extra mile to ensure the client’s needs are met, and her legal expertise is exceptional and her advice always delivered in a practical, realistic way for the client.” (Legal 500 UK).In addition, Mercedes is involved with the firm's extensive pro bono practice and has worked for a variety of clients, including UK and international charities, third sector organisations and social impact businesses. Her pro bono work has been recognized by Morrison Foerster, which awarded her the 2019 Kathi Pugh Award for Pro Bono Service.She has also spent six months in each of the firm's Singapore and DC offices, as well as providing support on multiple client secondments across a a wide variety of sectors.﻿Mercedes is qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales. She is fluent in Farsi.

Mercedes Samavi

Privacy + Data Security

United Kingdom