Harry A. Valetk

How Harry Helps Clients

Harry Valetk advises companies and organizations of all sizes on global privacy, data protection, and cyber and incident response requirements. Harry focuses his practice on delivering commercially practical advice to highly regulated companies, particularly in designing solutions to cover compliance obligations and the risks and potential liabilities associated with deploying generative artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven platforms. Working closely with the firm’s M&A practice, he also guides clients through the potential privacy and data risks associated with high-stakes corporate transactions. He has deep experience representing companies in the fintech, retail, pharmaceutical, health care, hospitality, cloud technology and manufacturing industries.

Harry routinely covers a wide range of issues on global regulatory implementation readiness for privacy laws, including California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). He also advises clients on cybersecurity risks, incident response and proactive cyber incident readiness, as well as advising senior management on liability risk mitigation.

Harry’s prior in-house experience as director of MetLife’s global privacy office in New York, in which he supported business lines in more than 60 countries, allows him to implement pragmatic solutions that address business and legal concerns. In this role, he also led numerous strategic efforts to build out a global privacy risk framework, achieve global compliance with applicable privacy and data protection laws, deploy cross-border data transfer solutions, implement global training and awareness initiatives and manage data and cybersecurity incidents.

Previously, Harry led the video game publishing industry’s privacy compliance efforts as the director of privacy online for the Entertainment Software Rating Board and its COPPA Safe Harbor Seal Program. He also served as a trial attorney for the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

As a thought leader in his industry, Harry is a frequent speaker and regularly publishes articles discussing privacy laws, identity theft prevention, online child safety, digital marketing and cyberstalking laws, including for the Stanford Technology Law Review, The New York Law Journal and The American Lawyer, among others.

We win or we learn, there is no failure. 

Honors & Recognitions

•  Named “Top Lawyer Under 40” by the Hispanic Bar Association (2011)
• Recipient, Fulbright Senior Specialist Grant (2008)