Former chief of the Illinois Attorney General’s Privacy and Data Security Unit joins BakerHostetler’s acclaimed Digital Risk Advisory and Cybersecurity team in Chicago
CHICAGO – Oct. 14, 2025
Key takeaways
- Matthew Van Hise has joined BakerHostetler’s Chicago office as a partner in the firm’s Digital Assets and Data Management Practice Group (DADM Practice Group) and a member of the Digital Risk Advisory and Cybersecurity team.
- Van Hise joins BakerHostetler from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, where he was chief privacy officer, assistant attorney general and chief of the Privacy and Data Security Unit.
- During his 14 years with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Van Hise provided crucial oversight and legal guidance on privacy and data security policies and spearheaded the office’s efforts to strengthen its data governance process.
Why this matters
Van Hise bolsters BakerHostetler’s DADM Practice Group, which has been named Elite for Privacy and Data Security by Chambers Global for four straight years. With his comprehensive experience overseeing complex privacy and security investigations and serving as chief privacy officer at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Van Hise will provide clients with practical, real-world advice as they develop their privacy and security governance programs, confront security incidents and respond to regulatory inquiries.
Key quote
“Matt had a distinguished career with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, including becoming its first-ever appointed chief privacy officer. He is highly skilled at generating and implementing solutions for realizing the value of data and technology, as well as guiding clients through privacy and data security policy and procedure development, implementation, management, maintenance and legal compliance. Matt is a tremendous addition to our globally recognized practice group,” said Ted Kobus, chair of the DADM Practice Group.
About Van Hise’s practice
Van Hise’s experience includes a unique blend of internal compliance and external investigations. As chief privacy officer and cybersecurity counsel for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Van Hise oversaw the office’s privacy and security activities, leading to more-secure systems and improved privacy and security governance.
As head of the Illinois Attorney General’s Privacy and Data Security Unit, Van Hise supervised privacy, data security and data breach-related investigations and litigation. He led or co-led many national multistate investigations, resulting in settlements with penalties totaling more than $1.5 billion.
During his tenure with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Van Hise served as chair of the Illinois Social Security Number Protection Task Force, section leader of the ABA’s federal and state Privacy Legislation Task Force and an appointed designee of Illinois’ Generative AI and Natural Language Processing Task Force. He also contributed to multiple working groups within the National Association of Attorneys General and offered legal counsel on privacy-related matters.
A Certified Information Privacy Professional, Van Hise received his J.D. from Cooley Law School and a B.A. from Bradley University.
Key quote
“The area of privacy and security is one where entities are forced to make choices about compliance obligations, and having an attorney of Matt’s caliber who can help them prioritize compliance efforts using information about how regulators make enforcement decisions provides tremendous value to our clients,” said Leif Sigmond, partner-in-charge of BakerHostetler’s Chicago office.
Comprising more than 100 attorneys and technologists, BakerHostetler’s Digital Assets and Data Management (DADM) Practice Group unites key service offerings and technologies intersecting with the life cycle of data. A globally recognized leader, the group’s roster includes attorneys practicing in this space for more than two decades, former federal prosecutors, veteran in-house counsel and past government agency leaders. With 11 top-tier rankings by Chambers USA and Legal 500, the DADM Practice Group is considered a go-to firm for cybersecurity, privacy, advertising, data governance and emerging technologies. For more information, visit bakerlaw.com/DigitalAssetsDataManagement. Connect with us on LinkedIn at @BakerHostetler, @TedKobus, @LeifSigmond or @MatthewVanHise or on the social platform X at @BakerHostetler.
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About BakerHostetler
BakerHostetler helps clients around the world address their most complex and critical business and regulatory issues. Our highly ranked attorneys deliver sophisticated counsel and outstanding client service. We have six core practice groups – Business, Digital Assets and Data Management, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Litigation, and Tax – and more than 1,000 lawyers coast to coast. For more information, visit bakerlaw.com.
