Waller, Beth Burgin
Woods Rogers | Principal
In This Section
Beth Burgin Waller is a cybersecurity and data privacy attorney who uses her significant experience
in technology to counsel clients on cybersecurity risk management, incident response, and privacy
laws.
As chair of the Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Practice at Woods Rogers, Beth’s experience on the intersection
of technology and the law is extensive. Beth is a Certified Information Privacy Professional with both U.S. and
Europe designations (CIPP/US & CIPP/E) and a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) from the
International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
Clients ranging from Fortune 200 companies to municipalities and universities, and spanning industries such
as manufacturing, healthcare, banking, and energy depend on Beth for advice and counsel on risk
management, data security, and regulatory compliance. Beth also advises clients in high-tech fields such as
biotechnology and software development and has worked with clients pioneering new technologies such as
blockchain and IoT devices.
Beth has been on the frontlines when an organization’s worst security fears are realized. She specializes in
critical infrastructure cybersecurity incident response, with experience leading teams bringing complicated
systems back online after cyber attacks. Beth has led cyber crisis management responses across different
industries and has experience with the intersection of NERC CIP, GLBA, and HIPAA with cybersecurity
incident response.
Beth is hands-on and leads a team of seasoned security professionals that dive into the nuances of network
maps and IT asset inventories alongside clients and technical forensic incident response teams to quickly
rebuild a downed enterprise. In this way, she is truly a “CISO’s lawyer.” These cyber incidents have given her
insight into what an organization must do to become truly cyber resilient. She counsels her clients—including
briefing their Boards of Directors—on the protective measures they can take before a cybersecurity crisis
strikes.
With the rise of third-party vendor risk, Beth developed supplier vetting programs and often negotiates cyber
and privacy risks associated with contracting. From data protection/information security addendums to highstakes
technology contracts, companies often hire Beth as outside general counsel to help their legal
departments navigate cybersecurity and privacy risks.
In the field of privacy, Beth has helped companies build privacy programs from the ground up and led major
regulatory compliance rollouts. Beth vets data impact assessments, privacy impact assessments, privacy
policies, and the implementation of new technology on business operations and privacy compliance. From
software applications to websites to even trade show attendance, Beth has experience navigating the
complicated world of international and local privacy laws and regulations.
In 2021, Beth was named as a OneTrust Data Guidance expert in the field of data privacy in Virginia. Beth’s
reputation as a leader in technology and the law is further evidenced by her appointment and election to
leadership positions in both of the major bars of the Commonwealth: the Virginia State Bar and the Virginia
Bar Association. In 2019, Beth was appointed to serve as Vice-Chair of the Virginia State Bar’s Special
Committee on Technology and the Future Practice of Law. She previously chaired the Committee’s
subcommittee on cybersecurity. In 2021, she was named to the Virginia Bar Association’s Intellectual Property
and Information Technology Section Council. She also served for eight years as an adjunct professor of law at
Washington and Lee University Law School, teaching technology-focused classes to law students.
Beth has been recognized repeatedly in Best Lawyers in America listings. She has been named a Virginia
Super Lawyers Rising Star in multiple categories and Virginia Business magazine has ranked her in their
Legal Elite listings. In 2017, she was named a Virginia Lawyers Weekly “Up & Coming Lawyer,” one of 15
attorneys selected across the Commonwealth for this distinction.
Beth graduated magna cum laude from Hollins University, with honors in creative writing, where she was also
student body president. Beth attended the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of
Virginia before earning her law degree from the College of William & Mary.