Melissa Krasnow

Melissa Krasnow is recognized by Chambers in Global Privacy & Data Security: Cybersecurity and Global Privacy & Data Security: Privacy and USA - Nationwide Privacy & Data Security: Cybersecurity and USA - Nationwide Privacy & Data Security: Privacy (VLP Law Group LLP was ranked as a firm in California: Technology) in 2026, Global Privacy & Data Security and USA – Nationwide Privacy & Data Security: Cybersecurity and USA – Nationwide Privacy & Data Security: Privacy in 2024 and 2025 (VLP Law Group LLP was ranked as a firm in California: Technology in 2025), USA – Nationwide Technology in 2024, and in USA-Nationwide Privacy & Data Security and USA-Nationwide Technology in 2022 and 2023 for having “an impressively well-rounded privacy practice covering counseling on issues such as CCPA, HIPAA and COPPA, as well as handling data breach incidents and enforcement matters.”

Advises on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), financial services regulatory laws (including Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act), and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and state laws (including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)/California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)), and the European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Counsels on privacy, data security, artificial intelligence, big data, technology matters, and cyber governance, including data breaches/incidents/other events (ransomware, account takeover, business email compromise, phishing, and vulnerabilities), preparing written information security programs (organizational and employee), devising incident response plans, and facilitating and participating in tabletop exercises. She advises boards of directors and officers on privacy, data security, and technology risk oversight and developments, and reviews cyber liability insurance policies.

Counsels on regulatory inquiries and compliance with state, federal, and international privacy and data security, advertising and marketing, governance and compliance, and regulated industry laws.

Prepares website and mobile application privacy policies and terms and technology policies.

Negotiates (and renegotiates in the wake of data breaches/incidents/other events) technology and commercial transactions, including master services agreements (MSAs), non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), data security addenda (DSAs), business associate agreements (BAAs), data processing agreements (DPAs), and CCPA/CPRA and other state privacy law agreements.

Handles privacy and data security diligence and negotiates deal terms in mergers and acquisitions and other transactions.

IAPP Certified Information Privacy Professional/US and Appeals Board Member.

National Association of Corporate Directors Board Leadership Fellow.

See https://www.vlplawgroup.com/attorneys/melissa-krasnow/ and https://www.irmi.com/biographies/melissa-krasnow

J.D., Northwestern University School of Law, 1992.

A.B., Wellesley College, 1989, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and Durant Scholar.

University of British Columbia, visiting student, 1987-1988, Class 1 Standing.