Michael Best is pleased to announce that Ariel (Ari) Brio has joined the firm as Senior Counsel in the Privacy Practice Group, based in the Austin office.
Brio’s practice is focused on privacy, cybersecurity, and AI counseling. With more than a decade of experience spanning from government service to management and technology consulting to leading digital entertainment hardware, software, and services companies, Ari has accrued a unique set of skills in complex data legal, policy, and management matters that he now applies in his practice.
“We are excited to have Ari join our privacy practice, and we are confident his deep knowledge and experience with privacy laws and regulations will help our clients navigate the complex landscape of privacy and cybersecurity,” said Dan Jones, Sub-Group Leader of Michael Best’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group. “Ari is a talented lawyer with a proven track record, he is well positioned to help assist clients through a broad range of complicated and rapidly evolving issues.”
In his most recent role, Ari served as a legal director and Global Privacy Officer at Sony Interactive Entertainment, where he was responsible for maturing, globalizing, scaling, and managing the privacy and data legal function for Sony’s PlayStation business. Ari also served as the legal representative in the company’s ethical data use program and as a legal subject matter expert for the company’s AI Working Group, responsible for AI strategy, development, and deployment throughout the organization. Before becoming an attorney, Ari gained diverse experiences from his roles as a technology consultant and serving as an intelligence officer for the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.
“We’re thrilled to have Ari join our growing Austin office,” said Commissioner George P. Bush, Managing Partner of the firm’s Austin office. “Ari’s diverse privacy and cybersecurity experiences and deep legal skill set are an incredible asset to the firm’s ability to provide strategic counsel to clients and contribute to leadership in privacy, data, and AI.”
Brio earned his J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law, as well as an M.S. in Public Policy and Management and a B.S. in Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.