Pillsbury’s Steve Farmer Named One of the World’s Leading Data Lawyers under 40

In his accompanying profile, Farmer pointed out that “keeping on top of technological developments and having a good grasp of IT fundamentals” was one of the keys to his success. He counted his work with partner Rafi Azim-Khan on one of the very first successful Binding Corporate Rules applications on behalf of a client as one of his career highlights thus far (these being the gold standard for international data transfers and Pillsbury being one of only a small handful of firms to secure these) and flagged his recent Wall Street Journal op-ed on the impact of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for US organizations—co-authored with partner Brian Finch—as another particularly memorable event.

Farmer’s practice focuses on helping businesses, particularly those in the technology sector, looking to launch or expand in Europe. As a Certified Information Privacy Professional (Europe), he is regularly engaged to help clients navigate data privacy issues in pre- and post-incident environments. He also has extensive experience advising on the monetization of IP rights and IP infringement and frequently provides counsel in connection with international trade compliance issues, such as export controls and UN, EU and UK sanctions.

To read Farmer’s GDR “40 under 40” profile in full, click here.

This accolade is just the latest example of Pillsbury’s longstanding place at the forefront of data protection law and the extensive depth and breadth of its practice in the area. European practice leader Azim-Khan has been consistently ranked in Chambers Global for his cutting edge e-commerce and data work since the first dot.com boom. Of note, he recently co-presented with UK Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham as the British American Business Conference’s keynote speaker. US practice head Deborah Thoren-Peden, who is regularly hailed by Chambers USA, has long been a leader in the e-banking and digital payments spaces. Meanwhile partner Brian Finch is an established voice on cybersecurity issues who has been repeatedly recognized in Legal 500 US for his prominent work in connection with hacks and cyber insurance. The group as a whole also continues to earn high praise from leading directories, securing consistent practice-level recognition from Chambers, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal among others.