Jud Welle is a partner at Goodwin who counsels companies on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, government investigations, regulatory enforcement, and other matters at the intersection of technology and legal risk. Jud serves as co-chair of the Cybersecurity practice and chairs the firm’s Data Security and Privacy Committee.

Jud is a trusted advisor to C-level executives, boards of directors, general counsels, and technology and security leaders. He delivers practical advice that addresses business imperatives while simultaneously managing legal exposure against an ever-changing threat and technology landscape. Jud regularly “parachutes” into unfolding crises to direct and coordinate a client’s response while helping reassure customers, regulators, auditors, and other external and internal stakeholders. Jud enables clients to develop, deploy, and protect technology products and critical information systems while managing growing cyber and AI risks. Jud also maintains close relationships with elite cybersecurity services firms and regularly acts as a liaison between his clients and federal law enforcement agencies. When clients face regulatory scrutiny, Jud leverages advocacy skills honed as a trial lawyer alongside his deep technical knowledge to avoid and mitigate impacts to reputation, business objectives, and the “bottom line.”

Jud’s service to clients is informed by hundreds of cyber incident response matters that he has led as external legal counsel and formerly as a cybersecurity consultant at two leading investigations firms. Jud also draws upon the high-profile cases he spearheaded as a federal cyber and national security prosecutor, working alongside the FBI, US Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and other federal and state agencies.

Jud is ranked among the leading cybersecurity lawyers in the US and globally. He regularly shares his insights on cybersecurity and AI at conferences, symposia, and in the media. Jud also serves on the legal advisory board of New York University’s Center for Cybersecurity, an interdisciplinary academic center addressing emerging cybersecurity and AI issues.