Breezing Through Cybersecurity in the Windy City

In early September I attended DRI’s Cybersecu-rity and Data Privacy Seminar in Chicago. This was my first experience at a DRI event other than the Young Lawyers Seminar or the Annual Meeting. My experience was outstanding, and I look forward to attending other substantive committee seminars in the future.

I have the Young Lawyers Committee to thank for my attendance. Last fall, Josh Webb sent an email to the Young Lawyers Steering Committee asking if anyone had experience speaking on cyber-related topics as the Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee was looking for speakers for their seminar. Through my firm, I had spoken several times on cyber-insurance and related topics so I replied back, stating my interest.

The committee slotted me as a moderator for a panel with two industry experts on cyber insurance: Anna Stafford of Travelers and Michael Carr of Brit Global Specialty. In the months leading up to the seminar, I prepared the written materials necessary for the panel to obtain CLE credit and a PowerPoint presentation to accompany the panel discussion. Working with Anna and Michael was an awesome experience, and I got to interact with and learn from two insiders on the topic. For example, Anna has been involved in one way or another in nearly every type of major cyber coverage dispute, and she was able to provide insight that was not apparent from simply reading the published decisions.

For me, the seminar began with a brief faculty meeting, and then we headed to a happy hour reception. The happy hour was jointly hosted by the Law Practice Management Committee, who was also having their seminar at the same hotel that week. There was even a celebrity appearance by John Kuppens, current DRI president. Following the reception, I attended the faculty dinner. While I enjoyed the dinner, it paled in comparison to the other event of the night: a group trip to see Hamilton.

The seminar was packed with interesting content. One company recounted its first-hand experience with a data breach incident, and we learned about new trends in data breach class actions and regulations. We even played a game of data security and privacy trivia and participated in a few rounds of speed networking. Other than Hamilton, the highlight of the event—at least on the social front—was a night at Lucky Strike Bowling, a high-tech gaming venue.

Overall, my experience at the Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Seminar was outstanding, and I will certainly be attending other substantive law seminars in the future.

Republished with permission. The article, "Breezing Through Cybersecurity in the Windy City," first appeared in DRI's Raising the Bar on October 31, 2018