BRISBANE: Piper Alderman and the Association of Corporate Counsel Australia (QLD) – Cyber security: to pay or not to pay a ransom demand

Wouter Veugelen is an information security executive with 20 years of international experience in cybersecurity and technology. He served as Chief Information Security Officer for two large ASX-listed organizations, and has 12 years of Big Four cybersecurity consulting experience.

Wouter currently leads FTI Consulting’s Cybersecurity practice in Australia, where he is dedicated to helping clients uplift their cyber security maturity.

He has a wealth of experience establishing and optimizing cybersecurity capabilities, leading local and globally distributed teams, and protecting IT and OT environments leveraging his technical knowledge.

As the Information Technology Director at Piper Alderman, Chris Paterson has the crucial role of overseeing information technology and cybersecurity. He has 20 years of experience in the IT field and has worked as an IT consultant, where he has given strategic guidance to clients and helped them handle their complex IT environments.

Chris has an MBA with a focus on technology and cybersecurity from the University of New South Wales, Chris is enthusiastic about keeping up with the latest developments and innovations in the IT sector and using them to enhance the effectiveness and security of Piper Alderman’s operations.

Nick’s experience spans a broad range of litigation and alternative dispute resolution processes across various state and federal courts and tribunals. Nick has a thorough understanding of the drivers of the successful resolution of complex litigation.  Having held senior in house and private practice roles he appreciates the need for legal and technical excellence to be guided by the desired commercial outcome.  The foundation of optimal outcomes has its foundation in a cohesive and collaborative approach between client and lawyer.

He has considerable experience in acting for clients in both the aviation and insurance sectors. Nick has acted for many of the major airlines and their insurers across a range of issues.  In the insurance sector his primary focus was on professional indemnity matters.

Nick has been a member of the QLS Ethics Committee for 8 years and is a former member of the Australian Insurance Law Association Committee (Qld Branch).

Kat Beavon joined the Real Estate Institute of Queensland as Legal Counsel and Company Secretary in 2019 and was promoted to General Counsel and Company Secretary at the end of 2021. Kat is an accomplished lawyer who practiced in a variety of areas of law for almost a decade before joining the REIQ, with a focus on property and commercial law. Kat is a dedicated and invaluable member of the REIQ Executive Leadership Team, lending her extensive knowledge and expertise to the strategic development and advocacy initiatives of the REIQ. Kat oversees many of the key departments of the REIQ including Membership, Realworks, Advisory Services, and Legal.