Meet Rocco Panetta

Founder & Partner - Italy & Belgium

Founder of STRAND & Managing Partner of PANETTA – Italy & Belgium

Rocco Panetta, CIPP/E, Attorney at Law admitted to the Italian Highest Courts, founder and managing partner of PANETTA Law Firm and President of PTP Privacy Tech Professionals, is internationally recognised as one of the leading experts in the field of law applied to new technologies, Internet, Data Economy, Cybersecurity and Environmental Law.

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

He has been the legal advisor of the Italian Prime Minister’s Office on the Ultra-Broadband strategy (2014-2016).

Former State executive at the Italian Data Protection Authority (‘Garante per la Protezione dei Dati Personali’) where he headed the departments responsible for public service licensees, marketing, facilitation and data transfers abroad (2001-2008). At the same time, he was the Italian representative to the European Commission and the Council on BCR, SCC, SH, APIS/PNR, and IMI.

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

Author of more than 150 publications, including monographs, codes and series, he writes for Il Sole24 Ore, Corriere delle Comunicazioni and Agenda Digitale. He is invited as a speaker and lecturer in Italy and abroad on topics of his expertise, he regularly teaches at LUISS in Rome and Suor Orsola Benincasa in Naples and is a former contract professor of Private Law at Roma Tre University.

Mentioned and awarded by the best legal directories, including Chambers Europe, the Legal500, and Who’s Who Legal. Several times awarded as Lawyer of the Year at the TMT LegalCommunity Awards. TopLegal magazine mentioned him among the top 20 most influential lawyers in Italy, ranking 40 under 50 lawyers, and Forbes celebrates him among the 100 most influential professionals in Italy in 2023.

Certificates

Emeritus fellow of IAPPCIPP