The Changing Landscape of Privacy and Data Security in Mergers and Acquisitions

Taft Stettinius & Hollister – It was not long ago that data privacy was an afterthought for many companies, and in some regards, it may still be an afterthought. Since 2018, major laws and regulations governing companies’ collection, use, and disclosure of personal information have been enacted. Along with these comprehensive data privacy laws, industry-specific laws governing the collection, use, and disclosure of protected health information, credit card information, controlled unclassified information, and more should be on the radar for businesses of all shapes and sizes. With all of these data privacy laws and regulations across the world, and the increased focus by regulators on data privacy practices, potential liability to acquirers of businesses has increased substantially.