Blair Dawson, MS CyS, FIP, CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM

Overview

Blair brings extensive experience in data privacy consulting and responding to data security incidents to McDonald Hopkins' Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group. She also has more than 20 years of insurance coverage consulting and claims knowledge, including serving as General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Insurance Management for one of the largest international insurance brokers in the world.

Blair's practice includes extensive experience responding to data security incidents while ensuring her clients remain compliant with state, federal and international requirements, as well as managing operational and reputational impact. Blair’s experience includes representing private companies and public entities whose operations have been affected by ransomware attacks or impacted by a business email compromise. She works with clients and third-parties, including forensic investigators, law enforcement and ransomware negotiators to identify and contain the incident, minimize disruption to business operations, deliver effective public communications, minimize exposure to possible litigation and regulatory investigations, and avoid further attacks. Blair also develops cyber incident response policies and protocols and provides other pre-breach and compliance services to place her clients in the best position possible from a business, regulatory and incident response standpoint.

She provides coverage advice and monitoring of litigation and pre-litigation domestic and international general, professional liability and cyber claims on complex insurance programs from inception through resolution. She also assists clients in risk management and marketing themselves for coverage, including renewals, evaluating insurance quotes and more. Blair also consults carriers, coverholders and brokers on policy language and insurance products.

She is a distinguished member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Fellowship of Information Privacy (FIP). She is certified by IAPP as a Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US), Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM). She also has a Master of Science of Cybersecurity from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Blair is an Advisory Board Member for The Cyber Helpline, a Board Member for Women in Security & Privacy, a Mentor for the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) Mentorship Program and an Adjunct Professor in the Chicago-Kent College of Law J.D. Certificate in Privacy Law. She has also been recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business “Notable Women in Law.”