Mike Hintze is a partner at Hintze Law PLLC and a recognized leader in privacy and data protection law, policy, and strategy. He was previously Chief Privacy Counsel at Microsoft, where, for over 18 years, he advised on data protection compliance globally, and helped lead the company’s strategic initiatives on privacy differentiation and public policy. Mike also teaches privacy law at the University of Washington School of Law, is a Senior Fellow with the Future of Privacy Forum, serves as an adviser to the American Law Institute’s project on Information Privacy Principles, and has been a member of multiple advisory boards for the International Association of Privacy Professionals and other organizations. Mike has testified before Congress, state legislatures, and European regulators; and he is a sought-after speaker and regular writer on data protection issues.
Prior to joining Microsoft, Mike was an associate with Steptoe & Johnson LLP, which he joined following a judicial clerkship with the Washington State Supreme Court. Mike is a graduate of the University of Washington and the Columbia University School of Law.
Affiliations & Memberships
- University of Washington School of Law, Affiliate Instructor of Law, 2014-present
- Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), Senior Fellow, 2018-present
- American Law Institute (ALI)
– Adviser, Information Privacy Principles, 2013-present
– Elected Member, 2014-present - International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
– Member, 2004-present
– Education Advisory Board, 2013-2016
– Research Advisory Board, 2016-2018 - Berkeley Center for Law and Technology (BCLT) Advisory Board, 2011-2016
- Privacy Law Salon, Privacy Roundtable Advisory Board, 2011-2013
- Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) Business Advisory Board, 2002-2007
Education
- Columbia University School of Law JD, 1994
- University of Washington BA, 1991
Bar Admissions
- Washington
- New York
- District of Columbia (currently inactive)
Certifications*
- Certified Information Privacy Professional – United States (CIPP-US), 2005-present
- Certified Information Privacy Professional – U.S. Government (CIPP-G), 2010-present
- Certified Information Privacy Professional – Canada (CIPP-C), 2010-present
- Certified Information Privacy Professional – Europe (CIPP-E), 2014-present
- Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT), 2011-present
- Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM), 2014-present
- Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP), 2016-present
Patents
- United States Patent No. 7,937,383 “Generating Anonymous Log Entries,” granted May 3, 2011.
*The Supreme Court of Washington does not recognize certification and certification is not a requirement to practice law in the State of Washington.