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james

James is a data strategist, privacy lawyer, litigator, and author. In addition to his role at Much, James is the founder and managing partner of Ward PLLC, a data strategy consultancy and privacy firm. He advises clients on how to create and market valuable data products and how to manage complex privacy and data protection requirements, including GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA.

James also helps design innovative solutions to data-based problems, establishes robust privacy programs, and leads teams to create new data products, generating millions of dollars in revenue per year. He is deeply engaged in Web3 projects, including DeFi, token development and securitization, and coin/token-based transactions.

James is the chief data strategist and privacy officer for a number of publicly traded companies. His representative clients and partnerships include FIS Global, EY, Duff & Phelps, Arizent, and Broadhaven Capital Partners.

James is the author of “Data Leverage: Unlocking the Surprising Growth Potential of Data Partnerships,” a bestselling book on data partnerships, privacy, and data strategy, and he is frequently interviewed by publications around the world on privacy matters, including The Guardian, BBC, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and others.

James is a certified fellow in information privacy and holds certifications in European and U.S. data security and privacy law.

James is also a seasoned litigator with more than a decade of experience in high-stakes litigation, including matters related to intellectual property, financial services, and consumer class actions.

Client Successes

  • Served as the data protection officer and outside Chief Privacy Officer for multiple publicly traded companies advising on strategy, contract negotiation and revision, data deployment, and access to markets under data protection regimes like GDPR, PIPL, PIPEDA, and others.
  • Served as strategic advisor and counsel to Oxford University’s Programme on Democracy and Technology, advising on legal issues ranging from misinformation and security to cross-border data flows and human rights.
  • Served as a member of the appellate team that successfully defended the largest fair use case under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to protect parodies and transformative uses of video clips and other online content.

News & Insights

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