McGuireWoods is rated as a leading cybersecurity law firm in a new report from BTI Consulting Group, based on unprompted feedback from top legal decision makers at large corporations. The firm is among an elite group that corporate counsel praised for helping clients identify and manage cybersecurity and data privacy risks and working with them to develop plans for responding to threats.
According to the report, BTI Law Firms Best at Cybersecurity, data privacy and cybersecurity represents the fastest-growing segment of outside counsel spending and the biggest issue keeping clients awake at night. McGuireWoods is among the firms identified as leading the pack by “proactively taking a ground-up approach” to helping clients avoid and manage threats to their businesses, supply chains and customers, and advising them on compliance with emerging laws and guidelines.
The rankings are based on 324 interviews conducted in 2016 with leading legal decision-makers at companies with $1 billion or more in annual revenue. Survey participants represent more than 15 industries.
“The firms with the best understanding of the client, and who communicate cybersecurity risk in business terms, win the work for the counseling — and this is the opening for the rest of the cybersecurity-related work,” the report states.
The report underscores the strength of McGuireWoods’ global Data Privacy & Security Industry Team, which works with clients across industries to protect the integrity of their systems, networks and data; develop programs to harness and manage their information; and navigate post-breach investigations and remediation efforts. Fourteen team members hold certifications from the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Lawyers provide regular updates on privacy and security issues on the firm’s Password Protected blog. The group recently welcomed partner Michael J. Adams, a retired Navy commander who served as a top legal adviser to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a national security point person on cyber threats.
“Data privacy and cybersecurity concerns touch every sector of the global economy, and our clients rely on us to understand and advise on how these risks affect their businesses,” said Andrew Konia, chair of the firm’s Data Privacy & Security Industry Team. “It is gratifying to receive such positive feedback from our clients.”
Boston-based BTI Consulting Group is a strategic research provider to the legal community and professional services firms. It performs in-depth analysis of client experiences for firms through more than 14,000 independent interviews with top executives of Fortune 1,000 corporations.