Leveraging Blockchain for Privacy

Sonia is the former Senior Counsel for Global Data Privacy and Security at Coinbase, Inc., a leading cryptocurrency exchange. Sonia advised product teams and other stakeholders on privacy requirements as it relates to new features, products, and launches.  Additionally, Sonia supported the maintenance of the global privacy program through the review and revision of privacy policies, and notices, conducting gap assessments, and interfacing with regulators to discuss privacy practices with a focus on the crypto industry. 

Sonia has several years of experience assisting multinational clients in various industries including telecommunications, healthcare, retail, and technology. She has provided project management support and subject matter expertise on projects involving GDPR and CCPA readiness assessments, implementation efforts, data inventorying, third party management, privacy governance and policy development. 

Sonia provides privacy input on business projects, products, and initiatives, and works closely with teams across the company to enhance privacy controls throughout business functions.  Sonia advises on customer, vendor, and employee privacy issues and has drafted data transfer agreements, review data transfer agreements in light of new laws, draft data protection notices, enterprise privacy policies, procedures, and employee notices.  Sonia also helps define privacy requirements taking into account factors such as risk appetite, exposure, and business objectives.

Prior to Coinbase, Sonia was at Grant Thornton LLP, where she helped establish the Privacy and Data Protection practice. Sonia worked closely with in-house counsels and key stakeholders to define privacy requirements and communicate them across the enterprise to various teams, including product teams, system owners and engineers. Sonia has developed and delivered client workshops to senior business leaders regarding the development of privacy programs, GDPR and CCPA compliance, and translating privacy controls into business requirements. 

She has experience developing and overseeing the enhancement of CCPA and GDPR privacy programs and initiatives for large multinational organizations.  Additionally, Sonia has experience with incident response plans, strategies, and evaluation of such plans in light of new and existing requirements.  

Previously, she was an associate at the Center of Health and Homeland Security in Baltimore, MD.  Her responsibilities included the development of policies designed to integrate privacy into business practices and supported regulatory and financial reporting for various clients. Additionally, Sonia counseled regional health centers to develop and manage their corporate privacy policies, advised on enterprise-wide projects designed to enhance HIPAA audit readiness, and conducted awareness and training workshops to enhance enterprise knowledge on privacy-related considerations. 

She has a BA in Political Science from University of Maryland – Baltimore County, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland. Sonia is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US, CIPM), a Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP),  and is a member in good standing of the Maryland State Bar.