Charles-Albert Helleputte and Diletta De Cicco join Squire Patton Boggs along with two associates

Charles-Albert Helleputte and Diletta De Cicco join Squire Patton Boggs along with two associates

They were earlier working with Steptoe & Johnson in Brussels

Squire Patton Boggs has hired a team of lawyers to expand its data privacy, cybersecurity, and digital assets practice group.

Partner Charles-Albert Helleputte will lead the team and becomes the firm's new head of its EU data and cybersecurity practice. He will split his time between Brussels and Paris. He is joined by Brussels and Milan-based counsel Diletta De Cicco and two associates working in Brussels and London.

The team advises clients on a range of cyber and data privacy laws, including the EU's Network and Information Systems Directive, General Data Protection Regulation, and the Cybersecurity Act, particularly related to cross-border issues.

Alan Friel, the chair of Squire's global data privacy, cybersecurity, and digital assets practice, said, "Shifting regulatory conditions, increased M&A work across our European practice and a multitude of other factors continue to drive demand from clients for global data, privacy and cybersecurity counsel."

Friel added, "Helleputte is one of the leading cybersecurity and data privacy experts in Europe. He is respected by clients and peers and brings strong relationships with EU institutions and agencies. He is ideally placed to lead our EU practice and to work with our UK practice group head, David Naylor, to further develop our EMEA data offering.

Bart Vanderstraete, Squire's Brussels office managing partner remarked, "Helleputte brings with him a stellar team. Our new associates are all highly experienced, and in our new counsel, De Cicco, we also have a talented Italian qualified lawyer who will be able to provide data privacy and cybersecurity advice direct to clients in our busy Milan office."

Helleputte earlier worked for over two years at Steptoe. Prior to that, he spent over 13 years at Mayer Brown including five years as a partner. He also had stints at Belgian tax law firm Tiberghien, Fortis Bank, and Arthur Andersen.

De Cicco served at Steptoe for two years. She followed Helleputte from Mayer Brown after spending four years.