K&L Gates Strengthens Technology Transactions and Privacy Practice Group with Seattle Partner Addition

Seattle - Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has added Jason (Jake) Bernstein as a privacy partner in the technology transactions practice group. Bernstein joins K&L Gates’ Seattle office from Focal PLLC. 

Bernstein focuses his practice on cybersecurity and privacy issues, counseling clients on managing their risks from a combined legal and technical perspective. He advises clients on matters including U.S. state laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, New York SHIELD Act, state data breach statutes, federal law and regulations (including the GLBA, FTC Act, and COPPA), and the European Union’s GDPR. Bernstein also has experience advising companies subject to investigations by regulatory agencies such as state attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission, as well as counseling on advertising, marketing, and regulatory compliance. 

Before entering private practice, he served eight years as an assistant attorney general in the Consumer Protection Division of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, where he prosecuted unfair and deceptive business practices, including online advertising, negative-option marketing, unsolicited email under state law and the federal CAN-SPAM Act, spyware, and consumer privacy violations. Bernstein is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional with (ISC)2, a member of the Information Systems Security Association and Cloud Security Alliance, and a regular speaker with SecureWorld and DataConnectors. He is also the co-host of The Cyber Risk Management Podcast. 

Bob Barrett, co-leader of K&L Gates’ intellectual property practice area, commented: “With firms striving to keep up with the demands of clients in the continuously changing landscape of data security and privacy law, we are extremely pleased to be able to add a talent like Jake to our already strong team.”

Bernstein’s arrival follows the earlier addition of technology transactions partner Richard Chew in Sydney late last year. They are among the nearly 70 partners and of counsel who have joined K&L Gates since the beginning of 2020, including in the firm’s corporate; health care; tax; commercial litigation; securities and transactional litigation; energy, infrastructure and resources; environment, land and natural resources; asset management and investment funds; banking and asset finance; labor and employment; IP procurement and portfolio management; IP litigation; technology transactions; real estate; government contracts; and investigations, enforcement and white collar practices.

“We are very excited to have Jake join us and expand our privacy practice,” said Pallavi Wahi, managing partner of K&L Gates’ Seattle office and co-managing partner, United States. “As a seasoned and skilled lawyer with experience in three important areas – compliance, transactions, and enforcement, we look forward to working with Jake and further supporting our clients in this rapidly expanding and absolutely critical area.”