Rocco Panetta, Attorney at Law admitted to the Italian Highest Courts, founder and managing partner of Panetta Law Firm, is internationally recognised as one of the leading experts in law applied to new technologies, the Internet, privacy, cybersecurity, and the environment.

He is currently the Country Leader for Italy and a former member of the Board of Directors of IAPP (‘International Association of Privacy Professionals’) and Ethics Expert of ERCEA (European Research Council Executive Agency).

Former legal advisor to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers on the Ultra Broadband strategy (2014-2016).

He was a high-level officer at the Italian Data Protection Authority, the Garante, where he headed the departments responsible for public service concessionaires, marketing, simplifications and foreign data transfers (2001-2008). He was also the Italian representative to the European Commission and the Council in BCR, SCC, SH, APIS/PNR and IMI matters.

Rocco was the first Secretary of the EIA – Environmental Impact Assessment Commission, as well as a member of the Commission as a Commissioner (2007-2012).

Author of more than 150 publications. He is an op-editor of the “Beyond Internet” column for Corriere delle Comunicazioni.

Mentioned and awarded by the best legal directories, including Chambers Europe, the Legal500, TopLegal, Who’s Who Legal. In 2015 he won the prestigious Privacy Lawyer of the Year award at the TMT LegalCommunity Awards. TopLegal magazine named him among the top 20 most influential lawyers in Italy in a ranking of 40 under 50.

Passionate about travel, good wine and food, Rocco also runs the historic men’s tailor shop Atelier Panetta Tailor in Rome.