Husch Blackwell is pleased to announce that Brad Hammer has joined the firm’s Technology, Manufacturing & Transportation business unit and Data Privacy and Cybersecurity group as a partner. A resident of the Minneapolis metropolitan area, Hammer is based in the firm’s virtual Link office and is the seventh Minnesota-based lawyer to join the firm since May 2022.
In just over a decade of private practice, Hammer has established himself as a go-to advisor to established and emerging companies in the area of data privacy law. Hammer founded Vakaris Group in 2016 as a boutique firm that provided data privacy law capabilities to clients spanning numerous industries and sizes. His legal counsel encompasses a range of data privacy law matters, including international compliance issues, privacy program development, implementation, and maintenance, due diligence and vendor management, and breach/incident response.
“The scale and scope of data privacy concerns faced by our clients are growing by the day, and Brad’s ability to distill the complexities of data privacy law into clear, actionable advice is something our clients will appreciate,” said Jeffrey Sigmund, the head of Husch Blackwell’s Technology, Manufacturing & Transportation group. “We continue to monitor closely the emergent risks and opportunities our clients deal with, from generative artificial intelligence to the Internet of Things. In many cases, data privacy concerns are at the heart of these issues, and we will grow our team and capabilities as client needs demand.”
“I started Vakaris Group with the mission of providing pragmatic compliance advice, specific to my clients’ goals and risk appetite, and giving clients a clear understanding of how to manage risk while pursuing business growth and development,” said Hammer. “I’m excited to bring my practice to a law firm that shares my vision of providing innovative, client-centric legal services. Pairing this model to compliance advice with the fantastic resources and privacy team at Husch Blackwell will only serve to improve my clients’ experience and outcomes.”