Former Head of Enforcement for the California Privacy Protection Agency Joins Latham
Latham & Watkins LLPis pleased to announce that Michael Macko has joined the firm’s Bay Area offices as a partner in the Privacy & Cyber Practice and a member of the Litigation & Trial Department. Macko most recently served as Head of Enforcement at the California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy). Before joining CalPrivacy, he served as in-house counsel for government and regulatory litigation at a large technology company, as a Trial Attorney in the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement, and as an Assistant US Attorney and Trial Attorney at the US Department of Justice.
“We are delighted to welcome Mike to Latham,” said Mark Bekheit, Managing Partner of the Bay Area offices. “His rare combination of state and federal enforcement leadership, paired with his in-house technology experience, aligns squarely with our clients’ needs, particularly as they navigate an increasingly aggressive regulatory environment.”
At CalPrivacy, Macko served as the agency’s inaugural head of enforcement, building the program from the ground up. He oversaw hundreds of matters and supervised the agency’s investigations and litigation, including the agency’s approach to monetary penalties and injunctive relief under California privacy law. Macko also set regulatory priorities, developed key initiatives, and published enforcement advisories on emerging privacy issues, including data minimization, data brokering, and deceptive design. He helped shape privacy enforcement coordination nationally and internationally by founding a bipartisan Consortium of Privacy Regulators with state attorneys general, partnering with enforcers at the Federal Communications Commission and formalizing cooperation with regulators in the UK, France, and Korea.
“Mike is a phenomenal addition to our market-leading privacy and cybersecurity team,” said Michael Rubin, Global Chair of Latham’s Privacy & Cyber Practice. “With enforcement intensifying across state and federal regulators, our clients face unprecedented complexity. Mike’s firsthand experience building enforcement programs, shaping regulatory priorities, and coordinating with authorities in the US and abroad positions him exceptionally well to guide our clients through their highest-stakes matters.”
“Mike has seen privacy and regulatory enforcement from nearly every angle," said Sy Damle, Global Chair of Latham’s Copyright, Privacy & Communications Practice. “His breadth of trial-tested experience brings a distinct advantage to our litigation team as clients increasingly defend regulatory actions in court.”
“Latham was the natural next step considering the firm’s depth of talent and exceptional quality across practices,” said Macko. “As new technology rapidly changes the privacy landscape, I look forward to helping clients navigate the complex investigations and litigation that come with it.”
Macko received his JD, cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and his BA from Penn State University. He clerked for judges on the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.