Privacy and AI leader strengthens firm’s capabilities in data governance, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Jones Walker LLP is pleased to welcome Christina Baptista as special counsel in the Litigation Practice Group, a member of the compliance and securities team, and a member of the privacy, data strategy, and artificial intelligence team in the firm’s Washington, DC office.

“We are pleased to welcome Christina to Jones Walker,” said Bill Hines, the firm’s managing partner. “Few attorneys can match her extensive experience advising on privacy and artificial intelligence matters at the highest levels of the federal government, which adds tremendous depth to our capabilities in these rapidly evolving areas. Christina’s insight will be a valuable asset to our clients as they navigate growing regulatory scrutiny, compliance obligations, and litigation risk.”

Christina helps clients prevent, manage, and resolve disputes involving artificial intelligence (AI), data privacy, cybersecurity, and data governance. Her practice pairs compliance counseling with litigation risk assessment. She works closely with businesses to structure AI and data programs that stand up to regulatory and courtroom scrutiny, evaluates the exposure created by new technologies and data practices, and supports litigation teams when privacy, cybersecurity, or AI questions move into contested territory.

“Businesses today are navigating an increasingly complex landscape shaped by rapid technological change and evolving regulatory frameworks,” Christina said. “Jones Walker has built a highly respected team focused on privacy, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, and I am excited to work alongside my colleagues to help clients address these challenges.”

Christina joins Jones Walker after nearly 16 years with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), most recently as senior counsel in the department’s Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties and lead privacy counsel to DOJ’s chief AI officer. In that role, she shaped and put into practice the department’s AI governance and compliance program, working to ensure the responsible procurement and use of high-impact AI systems. She was chosen to represent the Federal Privacy Council before the Chief AI Officers Council, and for her work establishing the Data Protection Review Court, Christina received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award. She also led the department’s Data Brokers Working Group, authored its policy on commercially available information, advised on privacy issues arising in litigation and international privacy laws, and directed multimillion-dollar breach responses.

Earlier, Christina spent a decade in the Office of the General Counsel of DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, during which time she served for six years as senior counsel and managing attorney. She directed a legal portfolio that spanned federal court litigation, privacy, records management, audits, contracts, and policy development, acting as the agency’s lead on civil class actions and on mandamus, habeas, Bivens, and Federal Tort Claims Act matters.

Christina is a Certified Information Privacy Professional, United States (CIPP/US) and received both the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award and the Director’s Award for Legal Excellence, Executive Office for Immigration Review, from the US Department of Justice.

About Jones Walker
Jones Walker LLP (joneswalker.com) is among the largest 140 law firms in the United States. With offices in Alabama, Arizona, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, and Texas, we serve local, regional, national, and international business interests. The firm is committed to providing a comprehensive range of legal services to major multinational public and private corporations, Fortune® 500 companies, money center banks, worldwide insurers, and emerging companies doing business in the United States and abroad.

Contact:
Savannah Kirk
225.248.3435
skirk@joneswalker.com

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SOURCE Jones Walker LLP