Polsinelli has added attorney Kris Carlson to the firm, where he will focus on cybersecurity matters for corporate clients and law firms.
Carlson, formerly with Special Forces, has extensive operational knowledge of cybersecurity that will bring value to the firm’s clients. Carlson counsels corporate clients on compliance matters arising from the duty to protect electronic data and assists companies in establishing proper security protocols, including effective data breach responses at both the federal and state levels. He also works with law firms to assist them in protecting their client data in compliance with the Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
“Kris brings to the firm a unique combination of practical cybersecurity experience coupled with the legal knowledge to guide companies through the complexities of protecting themselves from electronic data theft and it’s far reaching implications,” said Life Science & Technology Division Chair Patrick Woolley. “We are excited to have him join our team and strengthen our cybersecurity law capabilities, an area that very few firms in the country offer.”
Carlson will assist in identifying weaknesses in current e-data security and develop processes/protocols to help clients protect against theft of data and guard against hacking. He will also work with companies and law firms to make certain they have protocols in place for responding to government regulations in the event of a breach, assist board of director members with information security compliance issues particular to public companies and help attorneys ensure that they are satisfying their ethical obligations to safeguard client information.
“Businesses, healthcare organizations, utility companies, banks and law firms need to be proactively protecting their confidential information,” stated Carlson. “It’s my goal to understand the clients’ needs, and working with my colleagues, strive to ensure systems are in place to protect their confidential information.”
A graduate of the University of Arizona in Near Eastern Studies, Carlson earned his law degree from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law where he was the recipient of the CALI Award in National Security Litigation. He was the founder and supervising attorney of the Veterans Advocacy Clinic at the James E. Rogers College of Law, a clinic that was created to provide pro bono legal services in the Veterans Treatment Courts of the City of Tucson and Pima County.
Carlson currently serves as a subject matter expert on veterans’ legal issues for the Army OneSource Legal Resource Center. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona Rogers College of Law where he taught issues in national security law such as computer security, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and government response to public health emergencies.
