James
Ward

Special Counsel

James is a data strategist, privacy lawyer, litigator and author.

In addition to his role with Actuate, James is the founder and managing partner of Ward PLLC, a data strategy consultancy and privacy firm. He advises clients on how to create and market valuable data products and how to manage complex privacy and data protection requirements, including GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA. He also helps design innovative solutions to data-based problems, establishes robust privacy programs, and leads teams to create new data products generating millions of dollars in revenue per year. He is deeply engaged in Web3 projects, including DeFi, token development and securitization, and coin/token based transactions.

Mr. Ward is the chief data strategist and privacy officer for a number of publicly-traded companies -- representative clients and partnerships include: FIS Global, EY, Duff & Phelps, Arizent, and Broadhaven Capital Partners.

Mr. Ward is the author of “Data Leverage: Unlocking the Surprising Growth Potential of Data Partnerships,” a bestselling book on data partnerships, privacy, and data strategy, and is frequently interviewed in publications around the world on privacy matters, including the Guardian, the BBC, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and others.

James is a certified Fellow in Information Privacy and holds certifications in European and United States data security and privacy law.

James is also a seasoned litigator with more than a decade’s experience in high stakes litigation, including intellectual property, financial services, and consumer class actions.

Representative Matters

Data protection officer and outside Chief Privacy Officer for multiple publicly-traded companies advising on strategy, contract negotiation and revision, data deployment, and accessing markets under data protection regimes like GDPR, PIPL, PIPEDA, and others.
Strategic advisor and Counsel to Oxford University's Programme on Democracy and Technology, advising on legal issues ranging from misinformation and security to cross-border data flows and human rights.
Member of appellate team that successfully defended the largest Fair Use case under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to protect parodies and transformative uses of video clips and other online content.