Lawyer

Liisa Thomas, a partner based in the Chicago and London offices of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, is co-chair of the firm’s global Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice. Her clients describe her as “providing thoughtful legal analysis combined with real-world practical advice.” Liisa is consistently recognized as an industry leader for her work in this area of law. 

Learn more at www.sheppard.com/lmthomas

Liisa is the author of two treatises: the seminal Data Breach: A Practical Guide to Handling Worldwide Data Breach Notification, which has been described as “a no-nonsense roadmap for in-house and external practitioners alike.”   Learn more at www.thomasondatabreach.com. She is author of the newer release, Thomas on Big Data: A Practical Guide to Global Privacy Laws, a two-volume guide to complying with the ever-shifting privacy landscape. Learn more at www.thomasonbigdata.com. 

Liisa Thomas is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University Law School and in the School's Master of Science in Law Program. She teaches various privacy and compliance courses and was a recipient of the Edward Avery Harriman Law School Lectureship. She has also taught privacy courses at several other Chicago-area law schools, including the University of Chicago, DePaul University, and John Marshall Law School. Her courses are also available publicly at https://careercharting.thinkific.com/. 

Liisa is a seasoned keynote speaker who brings practical, real‑world insight to privacy, data protection, and compliance. She delivers engaging, plain‑language sessions that help boards, executives, and legal teams translate complex regulatory requirements into workable, sustainable programs that actually support the business. 

Liisa holds a master's degree in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University, and devotes significant time to mentoring new and established lawyers, as well as those in other professions. She has served on law firm diversity committees, including chairing the committee at one of her former firms. She is a frequent speaker on business development, and hosts a website where she blogs about career development and shares insights and tips.

Learn more at www.careercharting.com