The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) recently recognized Alston & Bird Senior Counsel Peter Swire as part of the IAPP’s “25 Leaders, 25 Moments at 25 Years” series. The IAPP, an organization with over 80,000 professionals around the globe, recognized Peter for his work writing the IAPP’s first textbook on U.S. privacy law. The textbook, “U.S. Private-Sector Privacy: Law and Practice for Information Privacy Professionals”, is a foundational work on U.S. privacy law and a core element of preparation for the IAPP’s exam designed to certify professionals as experts in U.S. privacy law (the CIPP/US certification).
Peter has worked on several versions of the textbook over the years. “Constant updates of the textbook have forced me, along with my co-authors, to continuously update our knowledge about all the topics covered by the CIPP examination,” Swire said. “We have also added several chapters over the years, with focuses on topics such as international data transfers and governmental investigations. These updates have incorporated cutting-edge developments from my work leading the Georgia Tech cross-border access to data project, and since 2018, the Cross-Border Data Forum (CBDF). Much of my current work for Alston is related to the cross-border transfer and government access to data issues that CBDF addresses.”
The book has evolved alongside the rapid pace of technological development. “The latest edition also featured an end-to-end re-write of the chapter that is now called ‘Introduction to Technological Aspects of Privacy’. Imagine how much the technology has changed from the 2007 first edition to the 2024 edition. In 2007, smartphones and social networks were in their infant stages. By now, they are all grown up. A privacy professional needs deep knowledge about both of them.”
David Keating, Partner at Alston & Bird who leads the firm’s Privacy & Technology Practice Group, says, “We are incredibly proud of Peter and delighted for him to receive this acknowledgement of his important contribution to the IAPP’s privacy certification process. He brings so much to our firm and our work for our clients. This recognition from IAPP is well earned.”
Along with his role as Senior Counsel at Alston & Bird, Peter Swire is also the J.Z. Liang Chair in the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, a Professor of Law and Ethics in the Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Research Director of the CBDF.
