Norton Rose Fulbright announced it has expanded its US privacy, AI, and cybersecurity bench with the addition of Helen Christakos as a partner in its San Francisco office, a move the firm framed as a response to rising client demand for privacy compliance, AI governance, and cybersecurity risk counseling. Christakos joins the firm’s global privacy and cybersecurity group from A&O Shearman, where she led the US Data Privacy Group, and will help deepen Norton Rose Fulbright’s California footprint in an area the firm described as strategically important.
Firm leadership positioned the hire as both a practice-strengthening and client-service play. Global and US Managing Partner Jeff Cody said Christakos’ background advising companies across key sectors will expand the firm’s US privacy compliance and product counseling capabilities and bolster its ability to perform privacy, AI, and cyber due diligence in complex transactions. Norton Rose Fulbright also highlighted the hire as supporting the firm’s AI-focused work, noting that data governance and responsible innovation are growing priorities for clients navigating evolving regulatory expectations.
Christakos’ practice spans regulatory, transactional, counseling, and contentious matters, with a focus on how privacy, AI, and security issues intersect with corporate activity. The firm said she has advised clients ranging from early-stage startups to global public companies on privacy, AI, and security considerations in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, financings, IPOs, and other commercial deals. She also advises on privacy issues related to product and service development and on creating data governance frameworks that enable innovation while aligning with evolving legal requirements.
In addition to transactional work, Christakos regularly advises on data-centric commercial agreements, including licensing and other contracts in which data use, ownership, and risk allocation are central concerns. Her scope also includes developing and enhancing privacy, cybersecurity, and AI governance policies designed to keep pace with legal and industry standards, as well as advising companies responding to cyber incidents and data breaches on regulatory obligations and incident response strategy.
Chris Cwalina, the firm’s Global Head of Cybersecurity and Privacy, said the group is more than 135 lawyers strong and organized to help clients manage escalating cyber and privacy risks across the full data risk lifecycle, from compliance and product development through incident response and regulatory scrutiny. Norton Rose Fulbright also reiterated the global scale of the practice, noting the team advises clients in approximately 120 jurisdictions and frequently serves as cyber response counsel, leading investigations and responses to large-scale cybersecurity incidents.
Christakos is licensed in California and the District of Columbia and is registered as a foreign lawyer in England and Wales. She earned her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, holds a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge, and a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College, and speaks French, German, and Greek. She said Norton Rose Fulbright’s integrated platform across privacy, AI, and cybersecurity, particularly its product counseling and complex transactions capabilities, made the move a natural fit, and cited the San Francisco office’s collaborative culture as aligned with her approach to client service.
KEY QUOTES:
“Helen’s arrival is especially meaningful at a time when privacy, AI and cybersecurity issues continue to be top of mind for clients. Her deep experience advising companies in key sectors expands our US privacy compliance and product counseling offering and complements our transactional capabilities through sophisticated privacy, AI and cyber due diligence. Helen also enhances our rapidly growing AI group, where data governance and responsible innovation are central client concerns.”
Jeff Cody, Global and US Managing Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright
“Helen joins a global cybersecurity and privacy team that is more than 135 lawyers strong, unified by the mission of helping clients manage rapidly escalating cyber and privacy risks. Her robust experience as a privacy lawyer is a powerful complement to our practice, broadening our ability to advise clients across the full data risk lifecycle—from privacy compliance and product development through incident response and regulatory scrutiny.”
Chris Cwalina, Global Head of Cybersecurity and Privacy, Norton Rose Fulbright
“Norton Rose Fulbright’s integrated approach to privacy, AI and cybersecurity—particularly its ability to support clients on product counseling and complex transactions—creates an exceptional platform for me to grow my practice and made joining the firm an easy decision. The San Francisco office has a culture of teamwork and shared purpose that aligns closely with how I practice. Working alongside such a well-established cohesive team with support from global colleagues with deep industry insight positions us to deliver practical, focused solutions to clients navigating today’s most complex challenges.”
Helen Christakos, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright
