Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz

Widely considered one of the country’s top privacy and data security lawyers, Tanya Forsheit has advised on high-profile matters involving confidential data and other sensitive information for over 20 years.

Ms. Forsheit is Chair of the Privacy & Data Security Group. She has advised on high-profile matters involving confidential data and other sensitive information for over 20 years. She advises on the protection, processing and monetization of data, including matters related to interest-based advertising, privacy policies, mobile apps, cloud computing, smart devices, and data analytics. She has advised on hundreds of information technology deals and transactions on behalf of both service providers and enterprise purchasers, including multilayered AdTech and cloud computing agreements. She is routinely called upon to help clients respond to time-sensitive security events and has advised on hundreds of such incidents. She has worked with dozens of multinational clients on the compliance requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation, and is currently representing dozens more in preparing for, and addressing the policy implications of, the California Consumer Privacy Act. The Legal 500 praised her in the 2019 edition as “incredibly responsive” and “everything you could ask for in an outside counsel.” In January 2018, she was named by the Daily Journal as one of the top 20 Cyber attorneys in California, and was one of three finalists for the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Cybersecurity Lawyer of the Year recognition in 2017. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at Loyola Law School.

Her representative matters include:

• Advised on hundreds of information technology deals and transactions on behalf of both service providers and enterprise purchasers, including due diligence for, and negotiation and drafting of terms for, cloud computing agreements involving the sharing of sensitive information and other IT outsourcing transactions;
• Counseled hundreds of clients on implementation of programs, policies and procedures for purposes of complying with applicable laws and best practices, including but not limited to international laws such as the forthcoming European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); federal laws like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the CAN-SPAM Act, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA); and state laws including California’s Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) and Shine the Light law and Massachusetts’ data security regulations;
• Represented clients across industry sectors in connection with more than 100 data security breaches involving consumer data, employee information and other sensitive information;
• Drafted and updated several hundred privacy policies for websites, mobile apps and smart devices, including wearable technology;
• Assisted dozens of organizations on application for EU-US Privacy Shield certification;
• Represented nearly a dozen clients in litigating and/or resolving disputes under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, including successfully defeating class certification in December 2015 on behalf of a healthcare technology company in a privacy class action in which plaintiffs sought recovery of more than $40 million for alleged unlawful transmission of faxes relating to HIPAA compliance.

Chambers USA, IT Law Experts, Who’s Who Legal, and Super Lawyers have all praised Ms. Forsheit for her privacy, data security and technology work, and the Los Angeles Daily Journal has twice included her in its list of "Top Women Lawyers." Ms. Forsheit lectures widely on technology law topics and has been quoted on privacy and data security in publications such as the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, ComputerWorld, Venture Beat, and Law360.

The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) has certified Ms. Forsheit as both an Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Privacy Technologist (CIPT). She sits on the Advisory Council of the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT). Ms. Forsheit is a past President of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles; and is a member of the American Bar Association: Science and Technology Law Section; the Los Angeles County Bar Association: Entertainment Law and Intellectual Property Section (ELIPS), Executive Committee; and the California Bar: Business Law Section, Cyberspace Committee.

Prior to joining Frankfurt Kurnit, she was a partner with BakerHostetler, and a founding partner of InfoLawGroup LLP, one of the nation’s leading privacy and data security boutiques. Ms. Forsheit is admitted to practice in California.