Leading cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection litigator Alexander Southwell joins Jones Day in New York
Alexander H. Southwell has joined Jones Day as a partner in its global Cybersecurity, Privacy & Data Protection Practice. He is based in the Firm's New York Office. Mr. Southwell is a nationally recognized technology-focused litigator and investigations lawyer with more than 30 years of experience advising top global companies on their most complex cybersecurity, privacy, and data innovation and AI issues, and leading white-collar, SEC defense, and internal investigation matters.
Mr. Southwell brings extensive experience across the full spectrum of cybersecurity and data-related challenges facing organizations today. Recent achievements include leading the defense of some of the highest-profile matters in the field, including the largest data-breach multidistrict litigation in history on behalf of major investment services providers, complex internal investigations arising from a widely publicized data-misuse scandal at a leading social networking platform, the defense of a novel cryptocurrency hacking case involving over $80 million in bitcoin, and the successful resolution of the second-largest business email compromise fraud in history.
A former Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where he investigated and prosecuted cybercrimes, as well as securities and white-collar frauds, Mr. Southwell draws on his prosecutorial experience and close relationships with law enforcement to counsel clients ranging from emerging companies to global enterprises on data breaches, security incidents, regulatory investigations, and crisis management. He also regularly leads the defense of privacy and data security class actions and regulatory investigations by the Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, the SEC, NY Department of Financial Services, and other federal and state authorities.
"Alex is one of the most accomplished cybersecurity and privacy litigators in the country, and his rare combination of trial experience, regulatory defense capabilities, and deep understanding of emerging technologies—from artificial intelligence to digital assets—makes him an extraordinary addition to our Practice and to the Firm," Mary Alexander Myers, who leads the Firm's Cybersecurity, Privacy & Data Protection Practice. "His ability to guide clients through their most critical and complex cyber and data protection challenges will further strengthen our team's capacity to deliver integrated, elite service to clients worldwide."
Mr. Southwell joins a global, multidisciplinary team of Jones Day lawyers with in-depth experience assisting clients with all of their cyber, privacy, and data protection legal needs. The Firm's Cybersecurity, Privacy & Data Protection Practice advises clients worldwide on transactions, compliance, governance and risk management, cyber-incident preparedness and response, regulatory investigations, and litigation. Jones Day's cybersecurity and privacy lawyers have experience across industry sectors, including emerging technologies and AI, life sciences, health care, financial services, retail, communications, manufacturing, infrastructure, and transportation.
"Alex's arrival underscores the strength and ambition of our New York Office and the value we bring to clients in the world's foremost business and legal markets," said Lee DeJulius, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's New York Office. "His deep roots in New York—as a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District, a trusted counselor to the city's leading companies and financial institutions, and a prominent voice in the cybersecurity community—combined with his global perspective on tech innovation and compliance, including privacy and data protection matters, will enhance the seamless, cross-border service our clients expect from Jones Day. We are excited about the opportunities Alex's presence creates for our clients in New York and around the world."
Mr. Southwell is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers USA for Privacy & Data Security: Litigation and has been recognized in Chambers Global for Privacy & Data Security. He has been named to The Best Lawyers in America for Criminal Defense: White Collar for over a decade and has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star. Mr. Southwell is a five-time honoree on the Cybersecurity Docket's Incident Response Elite list, a two-time Law360 MVP for Privacy, and was named a Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Trailblazer by The National Law Journal. His additional recognitions include Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers, Euromoney's Top 30 Data Protection Lawyers, Global Data Review's GDR 100 Elite, and Legal 500 US for Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation. Mr. Southwell earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University School of Law and his A.B., magna cum laude, from Princeton University. He served as a law clerk for the Honorable Naomi Reice Buchwald of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
"I am excited to join Jones Day because the Firm's culture of true partnership and seamless collaboration across offices and practices is a great fit with how I approach serving clients," said Mr. Southwell. "The cybersecurity, privacy, and technology challenges clients face—whether a major data breach requiring immediate crisis management, a multi-front regulatory investigation by the FTC and state attorneys general, or the development of governance and compliance programs for artificial intelligence, digital assets, and other tech innovations—do not respect practice-area or geographic boundaries. At Jones Day, I look forward to drawing on a global, multidisciplinary platform to assemble the right team for every engagement, whether that means pairing cybersecurity incident response with securities enforcement defense, integrating white-collar investigations expertise with privacy class action defense, or coordinating regulatory strategies across multiple jurisdictions. Jones Day's shared commitment to collaboration and client service is exactly what I was looking for."
