I am proud to be the trusted advisor to business enterprises of all types and to help them execute business goals strategically and collaboratively to thrive in ever increasing complex and regulatory environments.

Rita W. Garry is a seasoned corporate, transactional, artificial intelligence and data privacy attorney and is the trusted legal advisor to a wide variety of business enterprises across an array of industries, including professional services, banking and finance, healthcare, manufacturing, technology, aviation supply, craft breweries, not-for-profit trade associations and multinational gift card distributor. Rita builds strategic and long-term relationships with clients to create corporate governance, risk awareness, and legal compliance infrastructures for her clients to promote their stability, growth, risk mitigation, and future transitional planning for both strategic and private equity sales, mergers, and acquisitions. Rita’s extensive work with a diverse client base involves many enterprise matters including choice of entity and governance, employment, finance, real estate, commercial contracting, software licensing, transactions, and, most recently, data privacy and cybersecurity compliance.

As the importance of data management and privacy laws has grown, Rita guides enterprise clients, both internationally and nationally, in designing and operationalizing data management and protection law compliance programs, including those related to GLBA, HIPPA, GDPR and CCPA, among others. Also, since business data is frequently stored, processed, and shared with customers, vendors and other service providers, Rita works with clients to manage data protection in their contractual arrangement to help manage privacy law compliance.

Services

Business & Corporate

Our business is business–your business. We offer vast experience in a full array of corporate legal services.

Credentials

Education

  • Boston University School of Law, 1983 
    • J.D.
  • Lake Forest College, 1979 
    • B.A. Politics
    • Phi Beta Kappa
    • High honors 

Memberships

  • Illinois State Bar Association 
  • ISBA Privacy and Information Security Law Section, 2021-2022
  • International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
  • Certified Information Privacy Professional/US (CIPP/US)

Admissions

  • Illinois, 1983

Experience

Representative Matters

  • Led negotiations and drafting for international joint venture with US FAA certified repair station and French original equipment manufacturer of commercial aircraft wheel and brake assemblies.

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  • Served as outside general counsel for international gift card fulfillment distributor meeting many years of business challenges including  acquisition of UK subsidiary, data breach management, cybersecurity and privacy law compliance guidance leading to successful $25 million private equity sale transaction in 2018.

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  • Represented regional multi-clinic veterinarian practice in several corporate restructurings leading to national roll-up in $30 million debt/equity finance transaction.

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  • Counsel to first time sell-side owners of clinical drug trial management company in reverse triangular merger transaction to publicly traded acquirer.

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  • Counsel to first time sell-side owners of regional industrial tools distributor including tax-free reorganization and $12 million sale to private equity buyer.

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Presentations

  • Association of Corporate Patent Counsel Summer Meeting, "IP Value & Data Protection - Balancing Innovation & Privacy Law Compliance," June 27, 2023, presenter.
  • ALM-Law Cybersecurity & Law Newsletter, "Data Rights, Duties, & Risks: The American Data Privacy and Protection Act," August 11, 2022, author. https://bit.ly/3fobvSr.
  • ABA Business Law Today, "A New Regime for Financial Institutions' Cybersecurity Requirements," May 25, 2022, author. https://bit.ly/3BQRHOS.
  • International Factoring Association, "The Realities of Protecting Your Business from Cybercrime," March 23, 2022, webinar. 
  • Lawyer Monthly, "The State of the Sates' Consumer Privacy Laws," August 2, 2021, author. https://bit.ly/3SBG19v.
  • The Cyberwire Podcast Caveat, "Data Privacy Laws Are Failing," June 15, 2021, podcast. https://bit.ly/3re8NBC.
  • The Law Journal Newsletter, "Where Is the Consumer In Consumer Privacy Legislation?" June 8, 2021. https://bit.ly/3Rkhdlg
  • Freeborn & Peters Emerging Technologies, "Contact Tracing and Privacy," August 12, 2020, webinar. 
  • Freeborn & Peters Client Alert, "The Data Diet Resolution," January 17, 2020. 
  • Freeborn & Peters Client Alert, "CCPA: Are You Covered?" December 15, 2019.
  • The Knowledge Group, "Regulation A+ vs. Crowdfunding: Exploring Similarities and Differences," January 10. 2018. 
  • Freeborn & Peters Client Alert, "GDPR Impacts on Cybersecurity," May 20, 2018. 
  •  Thomson Reuters, "GDPR Compliance," May 16, 2018, webinar. 
  • Entrepreneurs Unplugged Law Summit, "Start-ups & LLCs" and "Preparing a Business for Crowdfunding," May 15, 2015, speaker. 
  • National Business Institute, "Handling the Sale of a Business" and "Tax Advantages of LLCs," May 20, 2015, speaker. 
  • Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, "The JOBS Act Takes a Look at Crowdfunding," June 22, 2012. 
  • National Business Institute, "Preparing to Sell a Small to Mid-sized Business," November 22, 2012.