News

The Federal Group Press Release

Washington, D.C., Wednesday, June 11, 2008:   The Federal Group is pleased to announce that Maureen C. Cooney, will join its business consulting and government relations firm as a Principal.  In a recent poll of Fortune-ranked companies, non-profits, and federal government agencies conducted by ComputerWorld Magazine, Ms. Cooney was voted as one of the “top 25 privacy experts.”  She is noted by USA Chambers 2008 as a leader in the field of privacy law.  

Maureen Cooney will provide privacy and information management consulting advice and public policy representation as a member of The Federal Group.  She joins The Federal Group representing TRUSTe, one of the most highly rated, independent privacy self-regulatory organizations, assisting consumers and businesses by setting privacy standards and providing independent third party privacy certification services and seals for trustworthy online organizations.  Among its offerings for online best practices, TRUSTe seal programs are recognized by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to monitor compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Agreement.  TRUSTe’s Watchdog Dispute Resolution Program assists consumers in navigating questions and concerns with businesses about their online practices, fostering consumer satisfaction and a trusted e-commerce environment.

Prior to joining The Federal Group, Ms. Cooney practiced law in Washington, D.C. and served as senior policy advisor for global privacy strategies at the Center for Information Policy Leadership, affiliated with Hunton & Williams.  In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Cooney provided privacy policy leadership to the Consumer Privacy Legislative Forum, a consortium of cross-sectoral global businesses.  She also provided policy guidance to NASSCOM’s Data Security Council of India (DSCI), a start-up self regulatory organization with the mission of fostering information privacy and security accountability in outsourcing relationships in India.   

Ms. Cooney distinguished herself in career federal service for more than 20 years before entering private practice.  Ms. Cooney’s government career was capped by appointment as the highest ranking privacy official in the United States Government at the time, serving as the Acting Chief Privacy Officer at the Department of Homeland Security.  She testified on numerous occasions before the United States Congress and is often sought out by both government staff and businesses representatives on privacy

and information security policy and operational issues.  Ms. Cooney served in legal, risk management, and privacy policy positions in the government and has broad knowledge of domestic and international financial services, consumer protection, and national security issues, serving at bureaus of the U.S. Treasury Department – the Office of Thrift Supervision and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for nearly 14 years, as well as the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Privacy Office at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.   Ms. Cooney has strong relationships with public officials and private organizations in Europe, Asia and the Americas. 

A Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP), including Government Privacy Certification with the International Association of Privacy Professionals, Ms. Cooney is a contributing writer to Government Executive Magazine’s new NEXTGOV  “TechInsider Blog” and speaks and writes frequently on a wide range of business and government privacy issues, including:

• privacy and information security accountability
• e-commerce and cross-border data practices
• global privacy laws and best practices
• technology and identity management issues
• children and family educational/medical privacy
• government privacy protections and government use of commercial information
• consumer protection
• financial privacy and information risk management.

Ms. Cooney received her undergraduate and law degrees from Georgetown University. She is a member of the District of Columbia and Nebraska Bar Associations.  She holds a high-level security clearance from the U.S. government.  Ms. Cooney is a Principal with the Council for Excellence in Government.  A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Ms. Cooney is a resident of Virginia where she serves as a Member of the Board of Directors and Development Committee of The Campagna Center, a non-profit organization in Alexandria, Virginia, dedicated to educational services and support for children, families and community building in Northern Virginia.