Al Saikali

Shook, Hardy & Bacon

Based in Miami, partner Al Saikali chairs Shook, Hardy & Bacon's privacy and data security practice and is the only Florida lawyer recognized by Chambers in privacy and data security law.

Saikali and his team are defending more than a dozen clients in biometric privacy class action lawsuits and compliance matters. They have directed hundreds of breach responses touching more than 150 countries including so-called “mega-breach” incidents.

Focusing on data breach preparation, response, compliance and security trends, Saikali has built privacy programs for global organizations and directed information security assessments. His team also advises U.S. clients on compliance with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation.

Julie Hough, associate general counsel at Deerfield Beach-based JM Family Enterprises Inc., commended Saikali for his knowledge of privacy issues, saying, “He provides practical advice to help companies proactively minimize their risks.”

Saikali founded the Sedona Conference's working group on privacy and data security four years ago to develop guides to help organizations minimize their privacy and data security liability risks.

He founded and co-chaired the American Bar Association's Cybersecurity Law Institute for the last three years, is a founding member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals' privacy bar board and chairs the Florida Bar's technology committee.

He teaches cybersecurity law as an adjunct faculty member at St. Thomas University and writes the blog Data Security Law Journal.

On the pro bono side, Saikali's team built a privacy and data security compliance program for the Perez Art Museum.