Rocco Panetta

Rocco Panetta, Attorney at Law admitted to the Italian Highest Courts, founding and managing partner of Panetta & Associati, is an internationally renowned technology, telecoms and environmental lawyer, as well as a certified privacy professional.

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

Counsel of the Italian Government (Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri) on the tlc Ultra Broadband strategy 2014-2016, Rocco has previously been a top-level officer at the Italian Data Protection Authority (2001-2008) heading one of its legal departments. His tasks and duties included, among others, supervising and dealing with marketing, public licensed operators and international data transfers. While at the Authority he has been Italy’s representative at the Commission’s Article 29 Working Party, and worked on BCRs, SCCs, SH, APIS/PNR, IMI.

Rocco also served both as Secretary General and Commissioner of the Italian Commission on Environmental Impact Assessment (Commissione VIA) from 2007 to 2012.

He has authored and edited more than 150 publications, including books, articles and collections. Currently he is editor of the column “Beyond Internet” for Cor.Com.

Throughout the years, Rocco has been ranked amongst leading lawyers by Chambers Europe, Legal500, TopLegal, Who’s Who Legal. In 2019 he was awarded Best Privacy Lawyer of the Year at Legalcommunity’s IP&TMT Awards. In 2020, Rocco Panetta was recognized among the Who’s Who Legal Thought Leaders in five categories: Thought Leaders – Data Privacy & Protection; Global Leaders in Data Privacy & Protection, Data Security e Telecoms & Media; and National Leaders – Data.