Sharon advises businesses on assessing and mitigating risks related to the privacy and security of personal data, ownership, and commercialization of data artificial intelligence; planning, drafting, and implementing privacy, security, and data protection policies and “best practices”; compliance with global, federal, and state privacy and security laws, regulations, and rules; data governance; and breach response, crisis management, and remedies for non-compliance. She is certified as an information privacy professional by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Sharon has deep experience in negotiating and drafting complex technology and cloud transactions, licensing, and strategic IT and commercial agreements. She is active in many organizations involved in technology, data privacy and security, and health information. For example, Sharon is a member of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services task force that is addressing aligning healthcare industry security approaches to responding to cybersecurity threats under the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015. She also is a commissioner of the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission, a voluntary, self-governing standards development organization established to develop standard criteria and accredit organizations that electronically exchange health care data.

Sharon brings more than 35 years’ experience to Blank Rome, advising clients on data privacy, cybersecurity, and complex technology transactions. Her acumen in data privacy stems from her significant experience executing outsourcing and technology contracts, but also from the 12 years she spent as associate general counsel at Siemens Medical Solutions USA where she notably focused on operationalizing healthcare and life science regulations, including HIPAA/HITECH and the Common Rule in research.

Outside the Firm

Sharon enjoys dinners with her historian husband and her high-school age son. The two cats sometimes make an appearance.

Alex advises clients on data privacy and information security laws and regulations, including compliance with HIPAA/HITECH; Gramm-Leach-Bliley; the California Consumer Privacy Act; cross-border data transfer; and state privacy, data protection, and breach notification requirements. Alex is able to synthesize the patchwork of state and federal legal requirements to assist clients in bringing innovative products to market and operationalize compliance programs that are in line with their business goals. He is certified as an information privacy professional by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

He handles technology and data privacy and security matters in a variety of industries, including healthcare, FinTech, financial services, pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer goods, e-commerce, and manufacturing. He also regularly handles strategic information technology (“IT”) transactions covering diverse critical business functions, including agreements involving cloud services and software licensing, software and mobile application development, IT and business process outsourcing, hardware acquisition, telecommunications, data licensing, and professional services.