We caught up with Linda and asked her several questions. Despite the fact she specializes in EU-US Data Privacy/Protection compliance – she didn’t say “none of your business.” Thanks Linda!
Define your practice and areas of experience:
- EU-US Data Privacy/Protection compliance advice and counsel;
- Due diligence, drafting, and negotiating EU-US data privacy/protection agreements and contracts including in mergers and acquisitions; and
- U.S. government relations.
Tell us about your legal career journey. How’d you get here?
Data privacy/protection is a fundamental human right in Europe which has resonated with me my entire life as the child of a Norwegian Nazi Resistance family. Helping U.S. organizations understand their obligations to safeguard their businesses and increase their brands’ value has been a natural progression in my legal career – from civil rights work representing Native American tribes in environmental enforcement, and children and adults in psychiatric institutions, jails and prisons – to assisting U.S. government officials with drug prevention in schools and social media. Privacy protection and transparency have figured strongly in my career, and I’m delighted I can focus on that at Practus.
What’s your professional secret sauce, the secret of your success?
I make sure I understand my client’s goals and then help them achieve them.
What is one thing you wish people about to hire a lawyer with your expertise knew?
Compliance with European data privacy/protection laws when done well can be a profit center (rather than a cost center) by increasing brand value and trust, attracting new customers and business opportunities, and generating word of mouth marketing.
What’s your definition of professional success?
Being able to help improve people’s lives.
What would people be most surprised to know about you?
That I grew up in a Norwegian speaking home in Seattle and I’m a mezzo-soprano opera singer. I’ve performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall for thousands, including the Norwegian Royal Family. And my debut CD, “Land of the Midnight Son: Norwegian Christmas in America” got rave reviews and radio airplay.
This is just a wild guess, but we’re thinking that if you weren’t a lawyer, you’d be an …
An opera singer
Thought so.
