ATLANTA, April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Jones Walker LLP is pleased to welcome Michelle Ramsden as special counsel in the Corporate Practice Group, a member of the commercial transactions team, and a member of the privacy, data strategy, and artificial intelligence team in the firm’s Atlanta office.
“We are thrilled to welcome Michelle to our Corporate Practice Group,” said Bill Hines, the firm’s managing partner. “Michelle brings rare, firsthand experience shaping national privacy, cybersecurity, and AI policy at the Department of Justice. She is widely regarded in her field, and her addition significantly strengthens our growing national AI team as clients navigate rapidly evolving regulation and risk.”
Michelle is a strategic privacy and technology attorney with more than a decade of experience leading comprehensive privacy, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI) programs for complex organizations. She advises clients on data protection, cybersecurity resilience and incident response, AI governance and risk management, technology procurement and implementation, and regulatory compliance matters. Her unique blend of experience and knowledge enables her to help clients navigate the evolving landscape of privacy, cybersecurity, and AI regulation while building scalable governance structures that support innovation and growth.
“Jones Walker’s privacy, data strategy, and artificial intelligence team has quickly established a reputation for pragmatic, resilient counsel, and I am excited to channel my experience to expand that foundation and help shape the conversation in this field,” Michelle said. “I look forward to collaborating with this results-oriented team to convert complex regulatory and policy changes into effective, enduring solutions for our clients.”
Before joining Jones Walker, Michelle served for eight years as senior counsel in the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties at the US Department of Justice (DOJ), where she managed privacy and AI compliance for department leadership and divisions with varied missions and structures. She developed the DOJ’s first AI governance frameworks and counseled department and government-wide leadership on high-stakes policy decisions involving digital policy, domestic and international legislation, and the disclosure of particularly sensitive information.
A skilled negotiator and consensus-builder, Michelle excels at translating complex technical and legal requirements into practical solutions that facilitate business objectives while protecting individual privacy and organizational interests. Her government experience also includes representing the department in diplomatic delegations and negotiating international agreements such as the Belgrade Ministerial Declaration on Artificial Intelligence. Michelle represented US government interests at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the G7, and the Global Privacy Assembly, and spoke publicly about privacy, AI, digital policy, and the importance of thoughtful governance that encourages innovation and trust in emerging technologies.
Earlier in her career, Michelle was selected as a Presidential Management Fellow under the US government’s premier leadership development program, serving in multiple capacities with the US Department of Homeland Security. In this role, she advised federal law enforcement and intelligence teams on the lawful use of emerging investigative tools, conducted in-depth risk assessments on law enforcement operations and information sharing, and supported system development and scaling for nationwide programs.
Michelle is a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM); Certified Information Privacy Professional, United States (CIPP/US); and Certified Information Privacy Professional, Europe (CIPP/E), certifications she earned from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
About Jones Walker
Jones Walker LLP (joneswalker.com) is among the largest 140 law firms in the United States. With offices in Alabama, Arizona, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, and Texas, we serve local, regional, national, and international business interests. The firm is committed to providing a comprehensive range of legal services to major multinational public and private corporations, Fortune® 500 companies, money center banks, worldwide insurers, and emerging companies doing business in the United States and abroad.
Contact:
Savannah Kirk
225.248.3435
skirk@joneswalker.com
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