Biography: Internet & e-Commerce

Edward R McNicholas is a partner in the Washington, DC, office of the international law firm Sidley Austin LLP and a global coordinator of its privacy, data security, and information law practice. His practice focuses on clients facing complex information technology, constitutional and privacy issues in civil and white-collar criminal matters. Mr McNicholas concentrates his practice on trial and appellate representations of technologically-sophisticated clients facing complex personal information issues. He is also an experienced counsellor, public policy advocate and internal investigator.

Substantively, Mr McNicholas has significant experience with a wide-range of cutting-edge internet and information law matters involving privacy and data protection, electronic surveillance, defamation, information security, cloud computing, trade secrets, social media, locational privacy, e-commerce, and national security.

His internal investigation and litigation matters have frequently involved multi-jurisdictional litigation focusing on First and Fourth Amendment issues as well as the internet and financial forensic analysis of complex international frauds.

Mr McNicholas previously served as an associate counsel to President Clinton, where he advised senior White House staff regarding various independent counsel, congressional and grand jury investigations. Many of his articles on privacy, data security, and civil liberties information law issues are collected at www.sidley.com/infolaw.

Mr McNicholas received his JD (cum laude) from Harvard Law School in 1996 and his AB (summa cum laude) from Princeton University in 1991. He clerked for the Honorable Paul Niemeyer on the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.