Hayley R. Curry

Hayley R. Curry is a core member of AKD Partners's market-leading Data Protection, Privacy and Security practice, where she advises both Fortune 500 and emerging companies on privacy, cybersecurity, crisis management, and national security issues.

With over a decade of experience, Hayley views privacy and cybersecurity as key resiliency matters for companies and approaches issues through that lens. She is skilled at providing practical, actionable advice, drawing from her unique in-house experience in the military and on secondment with two key firm clients.

Hayley has handled numerous complex and high-profile cyber incidents, often quarterbacking response efforts. She advises on containment and remediation, liaises with third-party experts (e.g., forensics firms, ransomware negotiators), conducts internal investigations, advises on privilege issues, and provides notice. Clients trust her judgment and appreciate her breadth and depth of experience on incident response. Hayley also prepares organizations for potential breaches by facilitating tabletop exercises—frequently for boards and executive leadership—and by drafting incident response and business continuity plans.

Hayley has extensive experience advising clients on national security and intelligence issues, which also happens to be an area of personal passion. Prior to joining the private sector, Hayley was a Captain in the US Army and served as an Associate Deputy General Counsel in the US Department of Defense (DoD). While at DoD, Hayley was significantly involved in developing programs aimed at preventing insider threats, network intrusions, and the disclosure of sensitive national security information. She was also actively engaged in a variety of initiatives involving emerging technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, and behavioral analytics. Today, she continues to advise clients on laws such as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA).

As a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US/G), Hayley counsels clients on meeting the requirements of state and federal privacy laws, including the Federal Trade Commission Act and US state consumer privacy laws. In particular, she has substantial experience with privacy and data security issues in the health information context and routinely advises clients on US consumer health privacy laws and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

A proud Army veteran, Hayley continues to be involved in the veteran community, serving as co-Vice Chair of AKD Partners's veterans and military families affinity group. She also routinely works on veteran's pro bono matters, including VA benefits appeals and discharge upgrades.

Hayley previously served as the Chair of the American Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division Science & Technology Committee and Vice Chair of the Homeland Security Committee.