Cynthia J. Larose
Member / Chair, Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice
+1.617.348.1732
Cynthia is a highly regarded authority in the privacy and security field and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP). She handles the full range of data security issues for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to major corporations. Cynthia is masterful at conducting privacy audits; crafting procedures to protect data; advising clients on state, federal, and international laws and regulations on information use and data security; helping organizations respond to breaches; and planning data transfers associated with corporate transactions. She is an in-demand media commentator and speaker on privacy and cybersecurity issues.
Cynthia is Chair of the firm's Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice, a Certified Information Privacy Professional-US (CIPP-US), and a Certified Information Privacy Professional-Europe (CIPP-E).
She represents companies in information, communications, and technology, including e-commerce and other electronic transactions. She counsels clients through all stages of the “corporate lifecycle,” from start-ups through mid- and later-stage financings to IPO, and has broad experience in technology and business law, including online contracting issues, licensing, domain name issues, software development, and complex outsourcing transactions. She is also a key contributor to MintzEdge, an online resource for entrepreneurs that includes useful tools and information for starting and growing a company.
Cynthia has extensive experience in privacy, data security, and information management matters, including state, federal, and international laws and regulations on the use and transfer of information, behavioral advertising, data security breach compliance and incident response, data breach incident response planning, as well as data transfers in the context of mergers and acquisitions and technology transactions.
She conducts privacy audits and risk assessments to determine data and transaction flow and to assess privacy practices, and assists with drafting and implementation of privacy policies and information security policies and procedures and monitoring of privacy “best practices” across all levels of the enterprise.
She is a frequent speaker on privacy issues at conferences and media appearances and presents privacy awareness and compliance training seminars to client companies.
During law school, she was editor-in-chief of the Probate Law Journal.
Education
- Boston University School of Law (JD)
- Boston University (MS)
- University of Massachusetts (BA)
Recognition & Awards
- Best Lawyers in America: Privacy and Data Security Law (2018 – 2020)
- Top Author for Cybersecurity, JD Supra’s Readers' Choice Awards (2018 - 2020)
- Chambers USA: Noted Practitioner, Nationwide – Privacy & Data Security (2018 – 2019)
- National Law Review: Go-To Thought Leadership Award, Cybersecurity (2018)
- Chambers USA: Nationwide – Privacy & Data Security (2010 – 2016)
- Chambers Global: Privacy & Data Security (2011 – 2012, 2016 – 2017)
- National Diversity Council: Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology (2016)
- Woman of Technology 2001 by Women in Technology, Inc.
- Two Thousand Notable American Women (2001)
- Women's Business Boston: Top 10 Women Lawyers in Boston (2005)
- Women’s Business Boston: Top 10 Corporate Lawyers in Boston (2009 – 2010)
- Named a "Rising Star" by Boston Magazine (2011)
- Leila Josephine Robinson Award, Boston University Woman's Law Association (2010)
- Boston Digital Industry News: Best General Lawyer for a High-Tech Firm
- Massachusetts Super Lawyers: Rising Star – Information Technology/Outsourcing (2005)
Involvement
- Member, International Association of Privacy Professionals
- Member, Computer Law Association
- Member, Federal Communications Bar Association
Recent Insights
Viewpoints
California Senate Proposes Bill to Extend Certain CCPA Exemptions
July 8, 2020|Blog
Today’s The Day: CCPA Enforcement Begins
July 1, 2020|Blog
News & Press
Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Cynthia Larose and Associate Natalie Prescott co-authored a Bloomberg Law “Professional Perspective” column analyzing the latest litigation trends that are emerging from recent privacy class actions involving children.
Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Cynthia Larose was quoted in an article published by Bloomberg Law on how companies might revise policies to ensure compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in advance of its July 1 enforcement date.
Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Cynthia Larose and Associate Natalie Prescott co-authored a Wolters Kluwer “SmartTask” designed for practitioners responsible for assessing existing privacy policies of U.S.-based companies.
Viewpoints
California Senate Proposes Bill to Extend Certain CCPA Exemptions
July 8, 2020 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose
At present, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) has “temporary” (and limited) exemptions for the application of portions of the CCPA to personal data collected in the course of business-to-business transactions (Section 1798.145(o)) and that of employees and job applicants (Section 1798.145(h). Both sections will sunset on January 1, 2021 without further action from the Legislature.
Read more
Today’s The Day: CCPA Enforcement Begins
July 1, 2020 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose
As we’ve been writing about in this space for some time, today marks the opening of the CCPA enforcement era. Despite protestations from the business community, and requests for delay due to the lack of regulations until early June and the ongoing COVID-19 state of emergency, AG Xavier Becerra declined to extend the deadline, saying “Businesses have had since January 1 to comply with the law, and we are committed to enforcing it starting July 1.”
Read more
New California Privacy Initiative to Appear on November Ballot – Get Ready for CCPA 2.0
June 29, 2020 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose, Kevin Hiraki
Just as businesses are gearing up for the start of enforcement of the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), California cleared the way for the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”). The CPRA is an initiative imposing greater privacy restrictions on businesses holding consumer data, to be voted on as part of California’s November 2020 ballot.
Read more
A New CCPA Data Breach Lawsuit Is “Minted”
June 17, 2020 | Blog | By Natalie Prescott, Cynthia Larose
Online stationery and craft company Minted Inc. has been hit with a CCPA class action lawsuit, stemming from a massive data breach the company disclosed in late May. The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, claims that Minted Inc. failed to implement “reasonable security measures” and to properly encrypt certain personal information.
Read more
Temperature Checks May Add Privacy Notice Obligations for California Businesses
June 17, 2020 | Blog | By Natalie Prescott, Jennifer Rubin, Cynthia Larose
BREAKING NEWS – California AG Becerra Seeks Expedited Review of CCPA Regulations
June 2, 2020 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose
The California AG’s office has dropped the long-awaited final CCPA Regulations, and requested expedited review from the Office of Administrative Law. If this request is granted, the regulations will be effective by July 1.
Read more
Businesses Beware: Incident Reports May No Longer Have Attorney Work Product Protection Absent Careful Planning
June 1, 2020 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose, Natalie Prescott
In an unprecedented ruling, one federal court recently held that the work product doctrine does not protect the expert cybersecurity report prepared after a data breach. The court ordered the release of the unredacted cybersecurity report, despite that it was prepared in anticipation of litigation at the direction of outside counsel. Despite ordering the release of the report itself, the court denied (without prejudice) the class plaintiffs’ request to also compel the disclosure of the “related materials,” finding that these materials may still qualify for protection, and that this issue was not yet adequately briefed.
Read more
COVID-19 Privacy Proposals on Both Sides of the Aisle: A Comparison
May 28, 2020 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose
Privacy risks of using big data in the fight against COVID-19 are significant, and have caught the attention of Republicans and Democrats alike. Earlier this month we reported on a bill introduced on May 7 by Republican members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee: the COVID-19 Consumer Data Protection Act of 2020.”
Read more
Zoom to Implement New Security Measures in Deal with NY Attorney General
May 12, 2020 | Blog | By Christopher Buontempo, Nadia Do Canto, Cynthia Larose
Amidst multiple investigations into the privacy and security practices at Zoom Video Communications (“Zoom”), New York Attorney General Letitia James recently announced a settlement agreement with Zoom after the failings of the platform were brought to light by the spike in Zoom video conference participants amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more
Senate COVID-19 Consumer Data Protection Act of 2020: Balancing Privacy with the Pandemic
May 7, 2020 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose, Christopher Buontempo
Last month, we reported that the United States Senate, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, conducted a hearing on “Enlisting Big Data in the Fight Against Coronavirus.” Specifically, the Committee focused on “examin[ing] recent uses of aggregate and anonymized consumer data to identify potential hotspots of coronavirus transmission and to help accelerate the development of treatments.”
Read more
News & Press
Consent is Key to Avoiding Child Privacy Class Actions
June 15, 2020
Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Cynthia Larose and Associate Natalie Prescott co-authored a Bloomberg Law “Professional Perspective” column analyzing the latest litigation trends that are emerging from recent privacy class actions involving children.
Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Cynthia Larose was quoted in an article published by Bloomberg Law on how companies might revise policies to ensure compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in advance of its July 1 enforcement date.
Assessing Existing Privacy Policies and Practices
May 21, 2020
Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Cynthia Larose and Associate Natalie Prescott co-authored a Wolters Kluwer “SmartTask” designed for practitioners responsible for assessing existing privacy policies of U.S.-based companies.
In an article published by CIO Dive, Mintz Member and Chair of the Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Cynthia Larose is quoted discussing cybersecurity concerns and compliance for communications platforms as working from home increases the use of these platforms due to the pandemic.
Protect Your Newly Remote Team From Cyberthreats
April 2, 2020
In an article published by Built In, Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Cynthia Larose was quoted extensively on remote cybersecurity risks, tips to protect personal and professional information, and a recent spike in malicious emails and phishing exploits, among other topics.
A New California Privacy Law Could Change Everything for Drone Operators in the U.S.
January 3, 2020
Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Cynthia Larose, Of Counsel Laura Stefani, and Associates Jonathan Markman and Elana Safner co-authored this guest post published by Dronelife that addressed how the California Consumer Privacy Act might affect drone operators in the state. The article also provided action items for surveillance and drone companies as they prepare for CCPA implementation.
Mintz Recognized by Chambers USA 2019
April 26, 2019
Cynthia Larose Named a National Law Review "Go-To Thought Leader"
December 27, 2018
Sweeping Data Privacy Bill Approved In California
June 28, 2018
This story noted news that California’s Governor has signed in law the nation's most far-reaching data privacy bill which will provide the state’s consumers more control of their personal data. Cynthia Larose, Chair of the firm's Privacy & Security Practice and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP), provides commentary.
Chambers USA 2018 Ranks Mintz Attorneys & Practices
May 03, 2018
Mintz partner and Massachusetts lawyer Julie Korostoff is one of 49 attorneys recognized as “Leaders in Their Fields” by the 2018 Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business guide. Chambers named Korostoff a “Recognized Practitioner” in Technology.
Mintz Honored by JD Supra's 2018 Reader's Choice Awards
March 19, 2018
Mintz is proud to be recognized by JD Supra in its 2018 Reader’s Choice awards. The annual program highlights the most widely read authors and articles throughout the past year. Five Mintz attorneys were named JD Supra Top Authors in four different industries.
Mintz’s Cynthia Larose Named “Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology” by National Diversity Council
October 16, 2017
The National Diversity Council has named Cynthia Larose, Chair of the Privacy & Security Practice of Mintz, one of the “Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology.” This marks the second consecutive year Ms. Larose has been selected for this honor.
New Yorkers Want to Know: What’s your cybersecurity plan?
August 29, 2017
Cynthia Larose is a Member of Mintz's Boston office and Chair of the firm’s Privacy & Security Practice. She was featured in a Marketplace article on cybersecurity regulations going into effect for financial institutions licensed by the state of New York.
Best Lawyers named 85 Mintz attorneys to its 2018 list of The Best Lawyers in America. In addition, Mintz attorneys Matthew J. Gardella and Samuel M. Tony Starr were named “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective practice areas.
Jennifer Rubin and Cynthia Larose are among those interviewed in the second part of this series discussing the legality of employers’ monitoring data systems and employee digital activity, making sure that they comply with consent and other requirements when setting up programs.
Members Jennifer Rubin and Cynthia Larose are among those interviewed in this article discussing the legality of employers’ monitoring data systems and employee digital activity, making sure that they comply with consent and other requirements when setting up programs.
Want to improve risk management? Do the basics
March 9, 2017
This article focuses on the key takeaways from a cybersecurity panel of industry experts recently held at Boston College. Member Cynthia Larose and Chair of the firm's Privacy & Security Practice moderated the panel.
Mintz Members will be participating in multiple panel discussions at the 2017 Boston Conference on Cyber Security hosted by Boston College and the FBI. The event presents an opportunity for leading minds to come together and fashion a more secure cyberspace.
Lessons for Connected Devices From the FTC’s Warning Against Unexpected Data Collection
February 22, 2017
Cynthia Larose is included in this article discussing challenges and questions raised concerning privacy of data on connected devices. Cynthia, a Member in the firm, is Chair of Mintz’s Privacy and Security Practice.
The Most Significant Data Breaches Of 2016
December 22, 2016
Member Cynthia Larose and Chair of the firm’s Privacy & Security Practice is quoted in a Law360 article discussing the major data security breaches in 2016.
Firm’s National Healthcare Practice, NY Corporate/M&A and Litigation: General Commercial Among Newest Rankings
Getting Your Firm Beyond the Breach
March 1, 2016
Member Cynthia Larose authored this American Staffing Association Magazine column on how businesses will find themselves under scrutiny for data breaches.
The 2015 Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business guide names 52 Mintz, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. attorneys as “Leaders in Their Fields.”
Mintz Represents Time Inc. in Acquisition of Cozi Inc.
June 19, 2014
Events
Speaker
Apr
27
2020
Compliance Solutions Strategies Spring 2020 Conference
The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, Florida
Speaker
Apr
22
2020
The Concept of “Reasonable Security” – What is it and how do you get there?
View the Webinar Recording
Speaker
Apr
15
2020
Law School for the CFO
Webinar
Speaker
Apr
7
2020
Speaker
Mar
30
2020
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Managing the Privacy & Cybersecurity Risks
View the Webinar Recording
Speaker
Mar
4
2020
Boston Conference on Cyber Security
Boston College
Speaker
Dec
17
2019
Panelist
Speaker
Speaker
Oct
21
2019
Panelist
Sep
25
2019
Compliance Solutions Strategies Conference
Scottsdale, Arizona
Speaker
Moderator
Jun
19
2019
Health Care & Cybersecurity: A Powerful Combination
ML Strategies, 701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20004
Speaker
May
14
2019
Boston Bar Privacy & Cybersecurity Conference
Aloft Boston
Panelist
Apr
29
2019
Speaker
Apr
10
2019
Speaker
Mar
27
2019
Moderator
Mar
6
2019
The Third Annual Boston Conference on Cyber Security (BCCS 2019)
Boston College, Gasson Hall, Room 100, 140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill, MA
Panelist
Feb
6
2019
Speaker
Feb
4
2019
Cybersecurity Best Practices for Legal Services Providers 2019
Practising Law Institute
PLI New York Center, 1177 Avenue of the Americas, (2nd floor), entrance on 45th Street, New York, New York
Speaker
Nov
13
2018
CTAM End of Year Meeting
HBO Theater, New York, NY
Oct
3
2018
Speaker
May
7
2018
2018 Onsolve User Conference
Arizona Biltmore Hotel 2400 E Missouri Avenue Phoenix, AZ
Speaker
Apr
18
2018
Legal Issues in Museum Administration 2018
American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education (ALI CLE)
Revere Hotel Boston Common 200 Stuart Street Boston, MA
Speaker
Mar
19
2018
2018 Cyber Liability Conference
Mohegan Sun Resort & Convention Center 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd Uncasville, CT
Speaker
Mar
15
2018
Higher Education Legal Conference
Boston Bar Association
Sheraton Boston Hotel 39 Dalton Street Boston, MA
Moderator
Mar
7
2018
The Second Annual Boston Conference on Cyber Security (BCCS 2018)
Boston College
Gasson Hall, Room 100 140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill, MA
Speaker
Jan
19
2018
Speaker
Jan
17
2018
Speaker
Nov
30
2017
Speaker
Nov
29
2017
Speaker
Nov
28
2017
Speaker
Nov
16
2017
Speaker
Nov
2
2017
Speaker
Oct
25
2017
Speaker
Oct
10
2017
Speaker
Oct
5
2017
Panelist
May
24
2017
Speaker
May
11
2017
Moderator
Mar
23
2017
Moderator
Mar
8
2017
Panelist
Jun
26
2016
Speaker
Jun
22
2016
Speaker
Jun
3
2016
Speaker
May
11
2016
Moderator
Apr
14
2016
Speaker
Jan
25
2016
Speaker
Dec
1
2015
Increased Scrutiny by Regulators of Cybersecurity
The New England Broker/Dealer and Investment Adviser Association
Boston, MA
Moderator
Speaker
Aug
26
2015
Speaker
Jun
29
2015
Moderator
Jun
24
2015
Panelist
May
14
2015
Hot Topics in Global Healthcare Information Privacy, Data Protection and Security
IAPP KnowledgeNet
Boston, MA
Speaker
May
13
2015
Moderator
Mar
10
2015
Not If, But When: Cyber Security for Companies in an Age of Inevitable Hacks, Attacks & Breaches
National Association of Corporate Directors, New England Chapter
Newton Marriott Hotel, Newton, MA
Speaker
Jan
16
2015