Ariel brings extensive knowledge to his role at Michael Best, where he focuses 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, Ariel has accrued a unique set of skills in complex data legal, policy, and management matters.
In his most recent role, Ariel 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. Reporting to legal executive management, he ensured global privacy compliance, developed solutions alongside the business, and managed associated risks while identifying opportunities for his clients. He staffed, trained, and guided teams of global privacy and data attorneys, collaboratively developed and executed the global privacy and data legal operations strategy, and supported transactions, product privacy counseling, data governance, privacy compliance, and data legal analysis across the business. Ariel 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.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Ariel gained diverse experiences from his roles as a technology consultant as well as serving as an intelligence officer for the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. These experiences supplement his legal skill set, help him facilitate solutions that integrate technical, operational, and organizational measures alongside conventional data law approaches, and allow him to express the complexity of modern information systems and data laws in simple and operational terms. Ariel is also experienced in data governance and operationalization of legal requirements, enabling him to help organizations effectively and efficiently manage these while maximizing the value of their data assets.
Ariel has demonstrated significant leadership in the field of privacy, data, and AI ethics. He served as a member of the Publications Advisory Board for the International Association of Privacy Professionals from 2020–2021 and was a Founding Advisory Board Member of the Privacy Bar Section from 2016–2019. Additionally, Ariel contributed to the IEEE Standards Association as part of The IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems from 2016–2019.