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ITechLaw's 50th Anniversary Celebration & Award
This year, the International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw) celebrates 50 years of being the leading global organization for legal professionals focused on the practice of technology and law. To mark this momentous occasion, ITechLaw will be honoring five (5) individuals who have made a global impact and an outstanding contribution to the fields of technology and law. ITechLaw will be awarding these five awards based on the geographic location of the individual: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, India, and Latin America.
The first award was given to Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair of Microsoft, at the 2022 World Technology Law Conference held in San Francisco on 26 May 2022. Mr. Smith was selected as the first recipient of this global award based on his outstanding legal career as a technology lawyer and technology advocate while working at one of the largest technology companies in the world. Not only has Mr. Smith previously spoken at several ITechLaw conferences, but he has also been a great promoter of "Tech for Good" and "Responsible AI" principles, including by supporting ITechLaw's "Responsible AI" book published in 2019.
The second award was given to Spiros Simitis, known to many as the “Father of Data Protection,” for his remarkable personal and professional engagement in data protection. These core principles enabled the development of data protection around the globe. Spiros Simitis’s work and influence can be traced back to the first world data protection law including the General Data Protection Directive of the EU (EU GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Brazilian General Data Protection Law (LGPD), and Japanese Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI). The award was presented at the 2022 European Conference, 19-21 October 2022 in Zürich, Switzerland.
The third award was presented to Honorable B.N. Srikrishna, Retired Supreme Court Justice. Justice Srikrishna has had an illustrious career in the Supreme Court deciding on matters relating to human lives and commerce. The award was given at the 2023 International India Conference, 18-20 January 2023 in Bengaluru, India. Post-retirement, Justice Srikrishna has headed several commissions such as the 6th Pay Commission, the Committee for Consultations on the Situation in Andhra Pradesh (CCSAP), Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC), the committee on arbitration law in India, and committee to draft a data protection framework. He has contributed to the jurisprudence of data protection by being the chair of the Committee that created the draft data protection bill for the country. The consultation pioneered by him has contributed significantly to the development of the vibrant technology law and policy community that we have in India today.
The fourth award will be for Asia-Pacific and presented at the 2023 International Asia-Pacific Conference, 8-10 March 2023 in Singapore. It will be awarded to someone who has made a global impact and an outstanding contribution to the fields of technology and law and who is based in Singapore.
We invite you to join us to celebrate ITechLaw's 50th Anniversary in person at our upcoming events.
50th Anniversary Committee
In honor of celebrating 50 years of the International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw), the ITechLaw 50th Anniversary Committee was established. The 50th Anniversary Committee is committed to honoring and celebrating the past 50 years of the association and to showcasing its future trajectory. We invite you to join us to celebrate ITechLaw's 50th Anniversary in-person at our upcoming events.
- Susan Barty, Past President 2016-2017, United Kingdom
- John Beardwood, Past President 2012-2013, Fasken, Canada
- Alex Blumrosen, Past President 2011-2012, Polaris Law, France
- Carmen De la Cruz, Board Member, LEXcellence AG, Switzerland
- Jenna Karadbil, Past President 2015-2016, Law Offices of Jenna F. Karadbil, United States
- Gabriela Kennedy, ITechLaw Immediate Past President 2021-2022, Mayer Brown, Hong Kong
- Michael Peeters, ITechLaw President, DAC Beachcroft LLP, United Kingdom
