McDonald Hopkins welcomes Christopher Taylor to national data privacy and cybersecurity team
Christopher Taylor has joined McDonald Hopkins LLC as an Associate in the national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group, focusing on incident response and assisting in addressing clients’ growing need for legal guidance on artificial intelligence. He is accredited by the International Association of Privacy Professionals as a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) for the United States, the gold standard certification for information privacy professionals.
“I enjoy how dynamic and fast-moving the field is—technological advances are continually driving regulatory change, making data privacy law a uniquely challenging and engaging area of practice,” said Chris.
Chris’s practice covers a wide variety of data privacy and cybersecurity matters for companies at all stages. He advises clients on data protection and data asset management, helping organizations identify, manage, and maximize the value of their data.
“I approach client work with the mindset that clients rarely have purely legal problems. Rather, they have business problems that carry legal implications. My goal is to deliver practical advice that addresses both legal risks and business realities.”
Chris said McDonald Hopkins was his destination firm because of its reputation as a leader in data privacy and cybersecurity.
“McDonald Hopkins has a reputation for having one of the best incident response groups in the industry. The team’s depth of experience, collaborative approach, and deep relationships across the industry made it a clear choice,” he said. “I’m most excited to focus on incident response and to work alongside clients during these critical situations. This role gives me the opportunity to provide clear, practical guidance when it matters most.”
Chris also provides pre-breach services that include drafting and negotiating data protection agreements for both vendors and covered entities, developing internal privacy and security policies and procedures, and advising on website privacy policies and compliance. His expertise also includes helping clients navigate incident response, including engaging forensic providers and cyber consultants, coordinating breach notifications, drafting internal and external communications, and monitoring threat actor activity on the dark web.
He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives as the legislative director for a member of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, managing a team of legislative and communications staff to implement the Congressman’s legislative policies and priorities. Chris’s experience in policy and politics before practicing law provides him with a unique perspective on navigating the ever-evolving data privacy and cybersecurity space.
