Brown II, Robert W.

Robert W. Brown II

Counsel

robert.brown@lw.com
robert.brown@lw.com
    Brown II, Robert W.

    Robert W. Brown II

    Counsel

    robert.brown@lw.com

    Profile

    Robert Brown advises on compliance with US and international data privacy and security laws and guides clients through the data privacy and security aspects of complex corporate transactions. He was among the first attorneys in Texas to be recognized as a Privacy Law Specialist, an accredited certification provided by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

    Mr. Brown regularly helps clients across all market sectors navigate the business implications and compliance challenges of new and evolving data privacy laws, including the Texas Data Privacy & Security Act (TDPSA) (and similar laws in other states), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and various sector-specific state and federal regulations, such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).

    Drawing on previous experience as global data privacy counsel for a Fortune 500 energy company and as legal counsel for a Fortune 500 technology company, he takes a risk-based approach to:

    • Assessing data privacy and security risks and applicable legal obligations
    • Designing data privacy compliance programs
    • Counseling on product development and the use of new technologies, including blockchain and AI
    • Drafting and updating both internal and external privacy policies and notices
    • Negotiating data privacy and security contract terms and data processing agreements
    • Providing data privacy and security support on corporate transactions
    • Navigating the complexities of sophisticated data sharing arrangements
    • Addressing data privacy issues related to digital marketing, employee privacy, and cross-border data transfers

    Recognized by the IAPP as a Privacy Law Specialist, a Certified Information Privacy Professional, and a Certified Information Privacy Manager, Mr. Brown often presents on data privacy as a panelist or featured speaker at conferences and forums.

    Experience

    Mr. Brown’s experience includes advising on the data privacy and security aspects of transactions for:

    Acquisitions

    • Coinbase in its acquisition of One River Digital, a digital asset manager
    • Binance.US, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, in its purchase of the assets of Voyager Digital LLC in the context of Voyager’s bankruptcy proceeding
    • Extra Space Storage in its US$12.4 billion acquisition of Life Storage
    • Discord in its acquisition of Gas, a poll-based app
    • Berkshire Partners in its acquisition of CrossFit*
    • SiriusXM in its acquisitions of Simplecast and Stitcher*
    • Thomson Reuters Corporation in its US$500 million acquisition of SurePrep, a provider of tax automation software
    • Open Health Communications in its acquisition of The CM Group, a medical communications platform
    • Basalt Infrastructure Partners in its acquisition of Fatbeam, a broadband service provider
    • Peninsula Pacific Entertainment in its acquisition of Kansas Crossing Casino, a casino company, and Kansas Crossing Real Estate, a real estate property
    • DB Schenker in its US$435 million acquisition of USA Truck, a general commodity transportation company
    • New Relic in its acquisition of K2 Cyber Security, a provider of a web application and cloud workload protection platform
    • The Sterling Group in its US$650 million acquisition of Ergotron, a designer, manufacturer, and distributor of ergonomic products
    • TriSummit Utilities in its US$800 million acquisition of the Alaska Utilities Business of AltaGas
    • Blackstone in its acquisition of a majority stake in ZO Skin Health*
    • Charlesbank Capital Partners and its portfolio company Bridges Consumer Healthcare in Bridges’ acquisition of Clarion Brands*
    • Sanofi in its US$3.7 billion acquisition of Principia Biopharma*

    Divestitures

    • Ka'ena Corporation, a wireless solutions provider, in its US$1.35 billion sale to T-Mobile US
    • Consolidated Edison in its US$6.8 billion sale of Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses and its subsidiaries to RWE Renewables Americas
    • Peninsula Pacific in the US$2.75 billion sale of its gaming business to Churchill Downs Incorporated
    • Fandom in its US$142 million sale of D&D Beyond, a digital toolset and game companion, to Hasbro
    • Otonomo, an Israel-based developer of an automotive data service platform and marketplace, in its US$371 million sale to Urgently
    • Solvvy, a Northern California-based, leading conversational AI and automation platform for customer support, in its sale to Zoom Video Communication
    • Tradesy, an online consignment shopping platform, in its sale to Vestiaire Collective
    • Viasat in its US$1.96 billion sale of Link 16 Tactical Data Links Business, a provider of a data link network to L3Harris Technologies
    • Cardtronics in its US$2.5 billion sale to NCR*
    • Maxim Integrated Products in its US$21 billion sale to Analog Devices*
    • QuickChek in its US$645 million sale to Murphy USA

    Investments

    • Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division in acquiring a significant stake in Zaxby’s*
    • Apax Partners as lead investor in Payfone’s US$100 million Series H funding round*
    • Blackstone Growth in its investment in ISN Software*
    • TPG Growth as lead investor in MX Technologies’ US$300 million Series C funding round and Prodigy Education’s US$124 million Series B funding round*

    *Matter handled prior to joining the firm

    Qualifications

    Bar Qualification

    • New York
    • Texas

    Education

    • JD, University of Texas School of Law, 2012
    • BA in Plan II Honors & History, University of Texas at Austin, 2009
      with honors

    Practices

    Industries

    News & Insights

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