Janet practices in the areas of intellectual property and data privacy and security. Janet provides worldwide brand protection, enforcement, licensing and transactional IP services, and she assists clients with preventive data security as well as compliance issues in the aftermath of a data breach.
Janet serves as the firm’s U.S. liaison on EU-U.S. cross-border data transfer matters. She counsels clients in the United States on GDPR compliance, auditing and evaluating clients’ data security policies, drafting website privacy notices and internal corporate privacy policies, and negotiating cloud computing and other data processing agreements from the vendor and customer perspective. She advises lawmakers and industry groups on privacy legislation at the state and federal level. As chair of McGuireWoods’ transactional intellectual property practice group, Janet also has significant experience with technology-related transactions, such as sophisticated IT procurement contracts, enterprise software licenses for corporate licensees and buyers, and transition services agreements in the contexts of stock or asset purchase agreements. She holds the CIPP/US certification as a Certified Information Privacy Professional from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
Janet has substantial experience assisting clients with the strategic management of large U.S. and foreign trademark portfolios for retail, manufacturing and professional services companies, as well as institutions of higher education. In 2019, National Law Journal recognized her as a "Technology Trailblazer" — a go-to lawyer for corporate clients on all aspects of technology law and data privacy. She also is a past chair of the Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Section.
Represented a major U.S. energy company with a complex vendor data breach impacting 250k+ consumers in 50 states as well as Canada, prepared consumer notices and arranged for call centers in two languages as well as numerous notices to Attorneys General; managed several follow up investigations and coordination with Canadian counsel on impacted consumers outside the U.S. (2020-2021)
Assisted nationwide wholesale distributor/retailer with all aspects of multi-state ransomware data breach remediation, including preparation of notification letters for data subjects, notifications to state attorneys general and other relevant state agencies, coordination of credit monitoring benefits for data subjects. (2020)
Negotiated multi-million dollar, multi-year college bowl sponsorship agreements for a major U.S. food manufacturer (2020)
Represented numerous colleges and non-profits in privacy compliance work following the Blackbaud data breach, including one involving over 300k data subjects. (2020)
Represented multi-national manufacturer with divestiture from parent company, including complex cross-licensing arrangements, consent agreements, and transition of 400+ trademark multinational portfolio (2019)
Acted as outside counsel to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in the development of its proposed Federal Consumer Privacy Act. (2018-2019)
Provided strategic advice to two liberal arts colleges regarding revisions to their intellectual property policies to ensure ownership by the college of online course material (2018)
Assisted real estate investment client with remediation of targeted phishing breach and analysis of state law compliance issues. (2017)
Created comprehensive information governance package for large, multi-national company routinely handling sensitive student data. (2016-2017)
Represented Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) provider in negotiation of long-term contract to provide online services for a major publishing house. (2015)
Managed multi-state breach notification compliance for large public company following loss/theft of employee data. (2013-2014)
Advised small public company on data breach and theft of trade secrets after Federal Bureau of Investigation alerted the company to apparent data breach. (2014)
Representation of a SaaS software company in the offering and sale of a major corporate subsidiary to a financial buyer. (2012)
Representation of a major railroad in negotiation of complex, custom IT development contract. (2012)
Represented a large public utility in the negotiation of an IT procurement contract (software, equipment and services) valued at over $250 million. (2011)
Chair, Intellectual Property Section, 2007-2008; Board of Governors, Intellectual Property Section, 2000-2007; Faculty, Professionalism Course, 2005-2008, Virginia State Bar
Member, Greater Richmond Intellectual Property Association
Member, International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
Member, Metro Richmond Women's Bar Association
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Trademark Law, 2011-2023; Information Technology Law, 2023; Woodward/White, Inc.,
Selected for inclusion in “Legal 500 United States,” Cyber Law, 2020-2022
Selected for inclusion in America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Intellectual Property, Southern Virginia, Chambers USA, 2012-2022
Named a Client Service "All-Star," BTI Consulting, 2022
Named to "Legal Elite," Intellectual Property/Information Technology, Virginia Business, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011-2021
Named a "Technology Trailblazer," National Law Journal, 2019
Named "Lawyer of the Year," Trademark Law, Richmond, Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., 2016
Winner, "Intellectual Property Up and Coming Lawyer of the Year," Chambers USA, Women in Law Awards, 2013
Named to “Virginia Rising Stars,” Intellectual Property, Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2007