BRUSSELS, August 26, 2026 – Corvane Ryle LLP today announced that Elke Vanderhoeven, a former senior official at a European Union data protection authority, has joined the firm's Brussels office as a partner in the Privacy & Cyber practice. She will advise clients on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU AI Act, the Digital Services Act and the wider body of European digital regulation.
During her career in public service, Ms. Vanderhoeven worked on guidance for controllers and processors, led cross-border investigations and contributed to the work of the European Data Protection Board on international data transfers and the interaction between data protection and artificial intelligence. She also represented her authority in discussions with regulators in other regions.
In Brussels, she will work closely with Sophie Laurent-Brecht, a counsel who advises on the EU AI Act, and with Lucia Ferrante, an antitrust partner who leads the firm's engagement with the European Commission on digital markets. She will also collaborate with Tomás Ellery-Vance in Washington, D.C., who leads the firm's Privacy & Cyber practice in the United States, and with Helena Strand, an associate in London, on matters that span the EU and the UK.
"Data protection regulators are shaping how companies can use data to build and deploy AI, and clients need advisers who understand how those regulators think," said Tomás Ellery-Vance. "Elke's experience is rare and her arrival strengthens our practice on both sides of the Atlantic."
"I am delighted to join a team that combines practical regulatory experience with a global view," said Ms. Vanderhoeven. "The questions companies face on data and AI do not stop at borders, and I look forward to helping clients meet them."
About Corvane Ryle LLP: Founded in Chicago in 1958, Corvane Ryle LLP has approximately 2,400 lawyers in 26 offices across 14 countries. The firm advises on transactions, regulatory matters and disputes for clients in technology, consumer, healthcare and energy transition. Counsel for what comes next.