Leading Privacy and Cybersecurity Lawyer Maarten Stassen Joins Crowell & Moring’s Brussels Office

New senior counsel will advise clients on privacy and data-protection law, including GDPR

Brussels – October 3, 2017: Crowell & Moring is pleased to announce the arrival of Maarten Stassen to its Brussels office as a senior counsel in the firm's Privacy and Cybersecurity Group. With nearly 15 years of experience, Stassen will advise private organizations and public-sector entities on privacy and data protection law, with a focus on corporate compliance and governance surrounding the internet of things (IoT), distributed ledger and blockchain technology, as well as health information technology. He will also counsel clients on the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will apply in May 2018 and affect how companies do business across Europe.

“Maarten’s addition to Crowell & Moring's Brussels office further strengthens our global network of experienced data protection lawyers,” said Jeffrey L. Poston, co-chair of the firm’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Group. “This will be a great asset to clients as they navigate cross-border issues and recent EU developments in the data protection area.”

Before joining Crowell & Moring, Stassen served as director in the privacy and data protection department of Deloitte's Cyber Risk Services practice in Brussels. In this role, he advised a broad range of European, U.S., and Asian companies on the legal and operational implications of European privacy and data protection legislation. His clients have included international brand names, with a particular focus on the automotive, financial services, life sciences, and retail sectors. Before joining Deloitte, he was the European compliance and privacy officer at Cigna, a role in which he oversaw monitoring and assessing privacy risks and controls of the health services organization’s European businesses and the European implementation of its global compliance and privacy programs.

"Companies will have to make significant changes to their data protection practices to ensure that their process and policies conform to the GDPR,” said Thomas De Meese, co-managing partner of the firm’s Brussels office. “Maarten’s experience leading organizations through Europe’s data protection framework to achieve compliance with the new requirements will make him an invaluable addition to our team."

Stassen has served as the faculty leader of the European Privacy Academy, where he taught on privacy-related topics, including privacy by design, privacy impact assessments, breach notifications, privacy vs. security, and HR-related topics. He is an active member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and a former member of its European Advisory Board.

"Crowell & Moring is a leader in the privacy and cybersecurity space," Stassen said. "I am excited to join the firm and look forward to working with the firm's lawyers to expand our privacy and data protection capabilities in Europe."

Stassen received his Belgian law degree, cum laude, from KU Leuven. He received his Spanish law degree from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. He is a certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) and holder of the CIPP/E certificate. He is fluent in Dutch, French, English, Spanish, and Catalan.

Stassen’s arrival comes on the heels of several significant hires in recent months that will work closely with Crowell & Moring’s clients to identify the challenges of globalization and technology, and the intersections around risk and compliance. In July, Ambassador Robert W. Holleyman II, the former deputy U.S. trade representative, joined C&M International as president and CEO and Crowell & Moring as a partner in the firm’s International Trade Group. He has spent more than two decades in business and government, expanding market access around the globe for leading technology companies and companies from the manufacturing and services sectors that face unfair trade barriers. In May, Paul M. Rosen, a former federal prosecutor who served as chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, joined the firm’s Los Angeles office as a partner in the White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement, Privacy and Cybersecurity, and Government Contracts groups. With more than a decade of legal and policy experience across all three branches of the U.S. government, Rosen focuses his practice on government investigations, cybersecurity and data privacy, and crisis management.

About Crowell & Moring’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Group

Crowell & Moring's Privacy & Cybersecurity Group guides clients across multiple industries through the myriad federal, state, and international laws governing the collection, use, transfer, and protection of data. The Group understands the internal and external threats that clients face to their data and systems and provides end-to-end support, from risk mitigation to incident response and litigation defense. The Group provides practical advice that permits our clients to address privacy and cybersecurity issues in a manner that reflects their business needs and risk exposure. The Group integrates with nearly every other practice group in the firm, including intellectual property, corporate, insurance, white collar, trade secrets, health care, energy, transportation, and government contracts to address the full range of privacy, cybersecurity, and litigation risks faced by clients. The Group publishes the Data Law Insights blog, which includes legal insights on navigating privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, information governance, and e-discovery.

About Crowell & Moring LLP

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with approximately 500 lawyers representing clients in litigation and arbitration, regulatory, and transactional matters. The firm is internationally recognized for its representation of Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation, as well as its ongoing commitment to pro bono service and diversity. The firm has offices in Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, London, and Brussels.