Amelia Schmidt Organizes and Will Moderate D.C. Bar Panel on Data Theft
July 9, 2019
Counsel Amelia Schmidt will moderate the DC Bar panel presentation, “Where Did All the Files Go?: Investigating, Prosecuting, and Defending Data Theft” on July 18, 2019, from 12-2pm at the D.C. Bar headquarters. The panel will feature attorneys from the Department of Justice, National Security Division, and experienced defense counsel who work with data theft and economic espionage cases. The panelists will talk about enforcement trends and developments they’re seeing in data theft and economic espionage cases, and the practical, on-the-ground experiences and challenges that they deal with in these cases. Topics will include the Export Control Reform Act and other export control issues, the use of digital forensic tools in these investigations, and working with related foreign entities and individuals in prosecuting, investigating, and defending these cases. The panel is being sponsored by the D.C. Bar International Trade Committee and Public International and Criminal Law Committee.
Amelia, who practices in white-collar defense and regulatory enforcement and works with clients on export control issues, and who serves as the Vice Chair of the International Trade Committee, organized the event to provide a forum for lawyers to ask experienced practitioners questions about these issues and also share what they’re seeing in this space. “These kinds of cases aren’t new, but concerns about theft of U.S. intellectual property keep growing—and as lawyers we see in a very real way how this affects our clients. You’re seeing news reports about the government announcing prosecutions for data theft and economic espionage almost weekly, if not daily. Data security is also a huge concern for a lot of our clients who are business owners and who are thinking about how to protect their companies on a near-daily basis and what to do if their IP is stolen.”
Amelia notes the value of including both prosecutorial and defense perspectives at the event. “You will get a better sense, from a law enforcement perspective, of what a prosecutor cares about in these cases. And you’ll get a better perspective from defense lawyers who have a lot of experience with helping their clients deal with what can be a very difficult situation—not just legally, but financially and emotionally.”
