With more than thirty years of government, legal, and business experience in highly regulated industry sectors, Erik helps clients navigate complex cybersecurity and emerging technology challenges.
A retired Navy officer who pursued a career as a Husch Blackwell litigator while also serving in the Navy reserves, Erik’s original focus at the firm was government enforcement actions in the aviation, mining, and maritime industries. At the same time, he was working extensively with Navy intelligence in his military service, making him increasingly aware of the growing cybersecurity threats in these critical infrastructure fields. Erik earned a master’s degree in cybersecurity law with the goal of expanding both his own practice and the firm’s capabilities in this essential area. After completing the program, he chose to return temporarily to public service in the Office of General Counsel for the National Security Agency (NSA). Erik served as the acting deputy associate general counsel for the NSA’s cybersecurity practice group before returning to the firm in 2023.
The head of Husch Blackwell’s Cybersecurity practice group, Erik also has a prominent role in continuing to build the firm’s Data Privacy and AI teams. He focuses on compliance requirements related to cybersecurity and data privacy, including statutory, regulatory, and consensus-based standards, with an emphasis on critical infrastructure sectors such as mining, energy, and aviation and the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). He represents defense contractors and subcontractors; companies underpinning electrical, wastewater, transportation, and smart city systems; and other major organizations facing extortion threats from malicious foreign cyber actors.
Clients appreciate the diverse perspectives Erik brings to cybersecurity and emerging technology matters. He understands the federal government’s strategies in this area, as well as its expectations for private companies to engage in information sharing and leverage cybersecurity best practices, ensuring that critical infrastructure always remains online. Similarly, with his military background and hands-on experience in the aviation and maritime fields, Erik understands the operational and security issues that exist with heavy equipment, operational technology, and critical infrastructure. Erik’s time in the NSA’s office of general counsel also gave him a first-hand appreciation for the many demands on in-house counsel’s time and how outside counsel can best support busy clients.
Erik’s insight into the intelligence community ties directly into his ability to advise government contractors on transactional matters, bid protests, and civil litigation. As technology advances, he recognizes the larger role that cybersecurity and data privacy play in everyday business operations.