IAPP Announces Kirk Nahra as 2021 Privacy Vanguard Award Winner
WilmerHale Partner and Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Co-Chair Receives Distinction
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – April 26, 2021 - The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), the largest and most comprehensive global information privacy community and resource, today announces Kirk Nahra, partner and privacy practice co-chair at WilmerHale, as winner of the 2021 IAPP Privacy Vanguard Award. This annual award recognizes one IAPP member who demonstrates exceptional leadership, knowledge and creativity in privacy and data protection, defined through spearheading projects or programs that positively impact the profession, or through achievements over the course of an entire tenure or career.
“Kirk has been a steadfast champion of the privacy profession from the earliest days of the IAPP,” said J. Trevor Hughes, president and CEO of the IAPP. "He somehow combines the highest level of expertise with remarkable generosity of time, particularly for younger privacy pros. We are a better profession because of his contributions."
Nahra joined WilmerHale in 2019, after 31 years as a privacy and health care lawyer. He counsels clients across varying industries on implementing privacy and data security laws across the country and internationally. He’s been involved with the IAPP from its inception, serving on the organization’s board of directors, and currently its Publications Advisory Board.
Nominations recognized Nahra as a “leading authority on privacy and cybersecurity matters,” encouraging teams to think outside of the box, with unparalleled knowledge and creativity in the privacy and data protection field.
“I’m honored and humbled to have been nominated and received the Vanguard Award,” said Nahra. “When I began my career, the conversations on privacy and data protection were primarily occurring in the healthcare and banking industries. It’s incredible to see the continued growth of the privacy industry and the conversations being held globally.”
Nahra began his privacy-related work in 1999 and said the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act were “fortuitous” in the trajectory and growth of his career. During this time, he recognized the importance of the statutes and said, “this is something a whole bunch of people are going to need help with.”
As a professor at American University’s Washington College of Law, Nahra is dedicated to shaping privacy leaders of the future. He serves as a mentor to young associates, including working with his alma mater Georgetown University, the American Health Law Association, and the Women in Security and Privacy program, and as a fellow at the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology and also The Cordell Institute at Washington University in St. Louis.
To read more about Kirk’s achievements and the aware, please visit https://iapp.org/news/a/kirk-nahra-receives-2021-iapp-vanguard-award/. To learn more about IAPP’s Privacy Vanguard Award and its significance, please visit https://iapp.org/connect/annual-awards/iapp-vanguard-award/.
About IAPP:
The International Association of Privacy Professionals is the largest and most comprehensive global information privacy community. Founded in 2000, the IAPP is a not-for-profit organization that helps define, promote and improve the privacy profession globally. More information about the IAPP is available at iapp.org.