Leading Privacy and Cybersecurity Lawyer Maarten Stassen Joins Crowell & Moring's Brussels Office

- BRUSSELS, Oct. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Crowell & Moring is pleased to announce the arrival of Maarten Stassen to its Brussels office as a senior counsel in the firm's Privacy and Cybersecurity Group. With nearly 15 years of experience, Stassen will advise private organizations and public-sector entities on privacy and data protection law, with a focus on corporate compliance and governance surrounding the internet of things (IoT), distributed ledger and blockchain technology, as well as health information technology. He will also counsel clients on the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will apply in May 2018 and affect how companies do business across Europe. "Maarten's addition to Crowell & Moring's Brussels office further strengthens our global network of experienced data protection lawyers," said Jeffrey L. Poston, co-chair of the firm's Privacy and Cybersecurity Group. "This will be a great asset to clients as they navigate cross-border issues and recent EU developments in the data protection area." Before joining Crowell & Moring, Stassen served as director in the privacy and data protection department of Deloitte's Cyber Risk Services practice in Brussels. In this role, he advised a broad range of European, U.S., and Asian companies on the legal and operational implications of European privacy and data protection legislation. His clients have included international brand names, with a particular focus on the automotive, financial services, life sciences, and retail sectors. Before joining Deloitte, he was the European compliance and privacy officer at Cigna, a role in which he oversaw monitoring and assessing privacy risks and controls of the health services organization's European businesses and the European implementation of its global compliance and privacy programs. "Companies will have to make significant changes to their data protection practices to ensure that their process and policies conform to the GDPR," said Thomas De Meese, co-managing partner of the firm's Brussels office. "Maarten's experience leading organizations through Europe's data protection framework to achieve compliance with the new requirements will make him an invaluable addition to our team." Stassen has served as the faculty leader of the European Privacy Academy, where he taught on privacy-related topics, including privacy by design, privacy impact assessments, breach notifications, privacy vs. security, and HR-related topics. He is an active member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and a former member of its European Advisory Board. "Crowell & Moring is a leader in the privacy and cybersecurity space," Stassen said. "I am excited to join the firm and look forward to working with the firm's lawyers to expand our privacy and data protection capabilities in Europe." Stassen received his Belgian law degree, cum laude, from KU Leuven. He received his Spanish law degree from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. He is a certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) and holder of the CIPP/E certificate. He is fluent in Dutch, French, English, Spanish, and Catalan.  Stassen's arrival comes on the heels of several significant hires in recent months that will work closely with Crowell & Moring's clients to identify the challenges of globalization and technology, and the intersections around risk and compliance. In July, Ambassador Robert W. Holleyman II, the former deputy U.S. trade representative, joined C&M International as president and CEO and Crowell & Moring as a partner in the firm's International Trade Group. He has spent more than two decades in business and government, expanding market access around the globe for leading technology companies and companies from the manufacturing and services sectors that face unfair trade barriers. In May, Paul M. Rosen, a former federal prosecutor who served as chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, joined the firm's Los Angeles office as a partner in the White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement, Privacy and Cybersecurity, and Government Contracts groups. With more than a decade of legal and policy experience across all three branches of the U.S. government, Rosen focuses his practice on government investigations, cybersecurity and data privacy, and crisis management. Media Contact:  An PhamManager, Media PR & Communications+1 202.508.8740Email: apham@crowell.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/566140/Crowell_Moring_Maarten_Stassen.jpgLogo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/566148/Crowell_and_Moring_LLP_Logo.jpg