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NRF welcomes new Australia-based head of cyber practice
An award-winning lawyer has joined the partnership of Norton Rose Fulbright with her team and is set to head up the global firm’s cyber security practice Down Under.
Jerome Doraisamy
Annie Haggar (pictured) has joined global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright as a partner.
She is, the firm said in a statement, “one of Australia’s leading cyber security lawyers with a proven track record of excellence” in the field of cyber security and technology law in Australia and globally.
Early last year, Haggar founded Cyber GC, a specialist cyber security and technology law firm. Prior to this, she served as the strategic partnerships global legal lead at Accenture.
In 2021, she won the General Counsel of the Year category at the Australian Law Awards, and at the same awards program for 2024 (hosted last Friday, 30 August), she took home the Sole Practitioner of the Year category.
As the head of cyber in Australia for NRF, Haggar is set to support the firm’s clients across multiple sectors, industries, and practice areas as part of the firm’s global cyber security and privacy team, where she will help to provide an end-to-end cyber offering to global and domestic clients.
Haggar commenced at the global firm yesterday (Monday, 2 September) alongside special counsel Amanda Wescombe. Graduate Maximus Leskien will join them on 23 September. Both Wescombe and Leskien also came across from Cyber GC.
Speaking about Haggar’s appointment, NRF chief executive partner Alison Deitz said: “Cyber security has exploded as a critical area of the law for all organisations.
“We are thrilled to have Annie join us with her decades of experience advising clients at the forefront of cyber security and the opportunities stemming from digital transformation and new technologies. Annie’s trusted relationship with multinational companies, governments in Australia and overseas and organisations involved in critical infrastructure will bolster our Australian and global cyber security offering.”
The firm’s global head of cyber security and privacy, Chris Cwalina, said: “We are so pleased to welcome Annie to our dedicated global practice of more than 90 cyber security and privacy lawyers based in many of the world’s key jurisdictions, helping clients improve their cyber security programs, prepare for and respond to cyber security incidents, and manage legal and regulatory risks related to cyber security, privacy and information governance.”
Haggar said: “Given how quickly issues develop in the global cyber security space, global law firms play a critical role in helping clients prepare for and defend against cyber and security threats on multiple fronts.
“Global firms can bring the necessary scale and insight to help clients appropriately govern cyber risk, mature their cyber security posture, or to prepare and respond effectively if a breach occurs.
“I am looking forward to helping Norton Rose Fulbright continue to build its full-service offering in cyber security and privacy so more of our clients can take the necessary steps to minimise risk and protect their organisations from security threats.”
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.
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