ABA ILS Annual Conference | April 28–May 1, 2025 | NYC | AI, Privacy, & the Rule of Law in an Era of Uncertainty

Heightened Vigilance in a Shifting Geopolitical Landscape: What Corporate Counsel Needs to Know about AI, Privacy, and Multijurisdictional Conflicts

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, March 3, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The global AI arms race is accelerating against a backdrop of geopolitical instability, economic tension, and daily cyber threats. From deepfake-driven disinformation to AI-powered identity fraud and autonomous weapons tested on the battlefield, artificial intelligence is no longer just a tool—it is a weapon reshaping national security, legal frameworks, and corporate risk. The American Bar Association (ABA) International Law Section’s 2025 Annual Conference, themed “Adapting to Today’s International Legal Challenges: A New Era?”, will feature a pivotal discussion: “Heightened Vigilance in a Shifting Geopolitical Landscape—What Corporate Counsel Needs to Know About AI, Privacy, and Multijurisdictional Conflicts.”

A premier legal forum (April 28–May 1, 2025, New York City), the ABA ILS Annual Conference will bring together leading legal minds, corporate counsel, regulators, and policymakers to examine how AI is transforming global compliance and security. With over 400,000 members, the ABA is the world's largest voluntary association of lawyers.

According to Jonathan Meyer, Co-Chair of the ABA ILS National Security Law Committee, Co-Chair of the International Committee for the Senior Lawyers Division (SLD), and Vice Chair of the Committee on Export Controls and Economic Sanctions:

"We are entering an era where AI is not just a tool but a force multiplier in geopolitical conflicts, cybersecurity threats, and legal uncertainty. This Powerhouse Panel brings together distinguished thought leaders who provide critical insights into the evolving legal and security challenges that demand immediate attention."

Panelists include:

HON. NOEL L. HILLMAN (Ret.) leads Gibbons’ ADR practice in the Business & Commercial Litigation Group. A former U.S. District Judge for the D.N.J. (2006–2023), he presided over nearly 100 trials after a 14-year tenure at U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), including roles as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Criminal Division and Chief of the Public Integrity Section. Judge Hillman has significant international experience in criminal law—he led the investigation and prosecution of several notable Arms Export Control Act and International Emergency Economic Powers Act cases involving prohibited exports to China, Iran, Russia, and Ukraine, including the first-ever case targeting the export of technical data. He served as a State Department delegate to the Global Forums on anti-corruption in Korea and Brazil, was a member of the U.S. negotiation team for UNCAC in Austria and its implementation team in Italy, led DOJ training in Ukraine on non-bank money laundering and in Serbia on corporate criminal liability, assisted the Council of Europe with anti-corruption compliance in Ireland and Turkey, and provided technical assistance on judicial integrity in Latin America.

ARLENE YETNIKOFF is the CISO at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where she leads strategic efforts to protect the institution's complex digital infrastructure and mitigate emerging cybersecurity threats. Before joining UC San Diego, Yetnikoff served as CISO at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where she spearheaded initiatives to secure groundbreaking scientific research, and as Director of Information Security at DePaul University. Widely regarded as an authority in cybersecurity governance, compliance, and risk management, Yetnikoff has played a transformative role in advancing institutional cybersecurity resilience. As an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Chicago, she focused on the intersection of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and ethical computing.

ADRIANA SANFORD is a global threats specialist, corporate lawyer, bilingual professor, and former Regional Counsel for a Fortune/S&P 500 company. She regularly appeared as a CNN en Español senior analyst, reaching 93+ million viewers. An ISM Centennial Author and American Program Bureau keynote speaker, Sanford heads Cybersecurity Leadership at Telecom4Good (supporting 387 organizations in 102 countries), teaches at the University of Texas at Arlington College of Business, is a Senior Research Fellow at Claremont Graduate University, serves remotely as Of Counsel at Puga Ortiz in Chile, and is an international ambassador for Inspire2Live—a global health movement based in Amsterdam dedicated to cancer prevention and treatment in low- and middle-income countries. Fluent in multiple languages and holding a dual LL.M. from Georgetown Law, she delivers keynote addresses at the world’s top technology, cyber, legal, audit, and compliance industry conferences. Sanford was recognized as a 2024 Top 20 Cyber Woman of the World Honoree and received the 2019 CSWY Cybersecurity Woman Law & Privacy Professional of the Year Award.

KAREN F. WORSTELL is an internationally recognized cybersecurity leader with nearly four decades of experience. She is the CEO of W Risk Group LLC and serves on the boards of the Colorado Technology Association and Chevra USA. At Boeing, Worstell authored the company’s first computer security manual and led pioneering secure distributed computing research before moving into senior and C-level roles in security and IT risk management at SRI Consulting, Bank of America, AT&T Wireless (CISO), Microsoft (CISO), and Russell Investments (CISO). She later served as senior cybersecurity strategist at VMware. As CEO of AtomicTangerine, an SRI International spinoff, Worstell oversaw a specialized team that delivered security strategy, venture initiatives, and significant technology implementations for Fortune 100 companies with annual revenues exceeding $9 million. She has co-chaired and advised for the NIST OSI Security Architecture Subcommittee, National Information Security Exchange, and the U.S. DOC’s Computer Systems Security and Privacy Advisory Board.

ADAM ISLES is Principal and Head of Cybersecurity at The Chertoff Group, with over 27 years of experience shaping and applying global cybersecurity strategies. He has guided market leaders across financial services, technology, retail, logistics, and other critical sectors in building resilient cybersecurity programs that align with today’s complex threat landscape. His expertise extends to trust and safety, where he has developed and implemented maturity frameworks for global online travel and transportation platforms. As Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Isles helped shape national policies on critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, and technology standards. At DOJ, he served as Counsel to the AAG and secretary of the G8 High-tech Crime Experts Group, advancing international cybercrime cooperation. Isles is the principal drafter of The Chertoff Group’s security risk management framework, earning DHS’s SAFETY Act designation. His expertise spans cyber-geopolitics, regulatory compliance, AI governance, and IT/OT risk.

Register early—space is limited.

Adriana Sanford
Data Privacy Help, LLC
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