Rohan Massey's role in the tech industry

Rohan Massey, partner at Ropes & Gray, leads the law firm's data, privacy and cybersecurity group. Based in the London office, Massey focuses on technology regulatory compliance issues, advising private equity firms and their portfolio companies in sectors ranging from manufacturing to the biotechnology industry. His work primarily involves data management, privacy and cybersecurity, supporting clients on a global basis.

Address compliance and data protection issues

Massey works on compliance programmes, assessing regulatory compliance and data protection regulations for multinational organisations. A concrete example of a solved problem concerns a merger between two multinational groups, with operations spread across different jurisdictions. In this case, Massey was called upon to ensure the legitimacy of the data transfer from the various countries involved to the United States, respecting the different data protection laws in each jurisdiction. This includes managing complex backends, complying with regulations and coordinating communications with relevant authorities.

Management of cybersecurity breaches

The second part of Massey's work involves dealing with cybersecurity breaches, such as ransomware attacks. In the event of an attack, emergency measures are activated to contain the attack and reduce the impact on internal and external users. In this context, Massey works closely with computer forensics experts, communications and marketing teams and regulators to assess the extent of the attack, plan remediation actions and ensure regulatory compliance. Its experience in managing these crisis situations allows it to effectively manage the impacts on affected businesses and coordinate response activities.

Future perspectives: Technology, data protection and AI

Massey believes that the main challenges ahead will be the convergence of data protection rights and technological developments such as artificial intelligence, facial recognition and data analytics. His role will be to ensure that organizations develop technologies in compliance with privacy laws and in an ethical manner. Massey highlights the importance of protecting individual rights and freedoms, ensuring that technological developments are used for the good of society and in compliance with applicable laws.