2010-03-18 18:35:05 -

David Lazarus, business columnist for the Los Angeles Times and talk show host on KGO radio, will headline the opening day program at ALM’s upcoming LegalTech West Coast 2010 : . His keynote talk, “Privacy, Security Breaches and Accountability,” will focus on the growing issue of consumer data protection, the consequences of security breaches, and legal and business accountability and compliance practices for data keepers. The importance of this issue has escalated for law firms and their clients, as the financial and business consequences of security intrusions can potentially result in millions of dollars in damages. LegalTech West Coast 2010, the region’s largest and most prestigious legal technology conference and trade show, will take place June 23-24 at

the Los Angeles Convention Center. Complete conference information is available at www.legaltechshow.com : .

Recent major security breaches range from attacks on Heart Payment Systems that enabled hackers to steal more than 130 million consumer credit card records to the theft of 8.3 million patient records and 35 million confidential drug prescriptions from the Virginia State Prescription Monitoring Program.

“All businesses say they take customers’ privacy seriously. But do they?” said Lazarus. “From the consumer’s perspective, it seems as though more and more personal information is being shared with third parties and making its way overseas – and is being compromised in security breaches.

“Businesses talk about ‘best practices,’ but is that sufficient? Until greater accountability is introduced for the keepers of our data, the breaches will continue, as will the steady erosion of consumers’ trust.”


Lazarus is an award-winning business columnist for the Los Angeles Times, focusing on consumer affairs. He also hosts a weekly talk show on KGO Radio in Northern California and is a frequent guest host for Southern California NPR affiliate KPCC. His work has resulted in a variety of laws protecting Californians, including a ban on sending voter information abroad and limits on how frequently banks can recycle former customers’ checking account numbers. He is a two-time winner of the National Headliner Award and, among other honors, has been named Journalist of the Year by both the Northern California Society of Professional Journalists and the Consumer Federation of California. He previously worked as a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and has written for a variety of news services and magazines, including Fortune, Newsweek and National Geographic.

The day-one keynote is sponsored by KPMG and will be held at 9:00 a.m.
on Wednesday, June 23 rd . This session is open to all attendees.

LegalTech West Coast 2009 attracted 3000 attendees and featured more than 100 exhibiting companies. For a conference agenda, exhibitor list and other details, visit www.legaltechshow.com : .

LegalTech is presented by ALM Events, a leading producer of educational and networking events for business leaders and professionals. Other ALM events include ALM Legal Conferences, Insight Information Conferences and the RealShare Conference series for commercial real estate professionals.

ALM, an integrated media company, is a leading provider of specialized business news and information, focused primarily on the legal and commercial real estate sectors. ALM’s market-leading brands include The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, GlobeSt.com, Insight Conferences, Law.com, Law Journal Press, LegalTech, The National Law Journal and Real Estate Forum. Headquartered in New York City, ALM was formed in 1997. For more information, visit www.alm.com : .

ALM, The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, GlobeSt.com, Insight Conferences, Law.com, Law Journal Press, Law Technology News, LegalTech, The National Law Journal and Real Estate Forum are trademarks or registered trademarks of ALM Media Properties, LLC.



Peters & Feldman for ALMLee Feldman, 203-341-8922 lfeldman@alm.com : mailto:lfeldman@alm.com