Expert Webinar with Orrick

International Data Transfers at Risk - What Can Companies Do?


On January 28, 2021, also Privacy Day around the world, Orrick and AmCham Germany hosted a joint panel discussion on the burning issue of international data transfers.

The Court of Justice of the European Union’s Schrems II ruling turned international data transfers upside down and left companies wondering if they could still transfer data across borders or if all data need to remain in the EU.

There is much uncertainty in regard to the new requirements on a contractual and technical level and many companies struggle to meet the new requirements.

Dr. Christian Schröder (Germany) and Shannon Yavorsky (US), both members of Orrick’s award-winning global Cyber, Privacy & Data Innovation Group, were joined by Dr. Oliver Stiemerling, MD at ecambria systems (Germany) as well as Andreas Sachs and Alexander Filip, both experts at the Bavarian Data Protection Authority, who are engaged in the discussions at the EU level.

Moderated by Dr. Schröder, the experts provided a large audience of high-ranking representatives of AmCham Germany members and guests with practical guidance about how to adjust international data transfers to this new landscape.

Ms. Yavorsky started the update with a brief assessment of the Biden Administration in the US and the prospect of enforcement of a Privacy Shield 3.0.

The experts proceeded to discuss pros and cons of specific technical and organizational measures, including the Warrant Canary companies can implement, and discussed the question whether companies can continue to work with US Cloud Service Providers at all. Mr. Filip and Mr. Sachs from the Bavarian supervisory authority for the private sector provided particularly helpful insights on the view of a supervisory authority and Dr. Stiemerling greatly helped to explain and put technical requirements into perspective.

The briefing was rounded up by a Q&A session to answer an attentive audience’s pressing questions.

For more detailed information please contact:

Heather Liermann

Head of Department

Membership Engagement & Development