Kwabena A. Appenteng

Pronounced: KWAH-beh-na

  • Office Managing Shareholder
  • Co-Chair, Privacy and Data Security Practice Group
  • Chicago
kappenteng@littler.com
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Kwabena A. Appenteng counsels employers on a range of workplace privacy and information security issues in both the U.S. and European Union, including:

  • The California Consumer Privacy Act
  • The European General Data Protection Regulation
  • Cross-border transfers of human resources data
  • Biometric data privacy issues
  • Responding to security breaches
  • The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and background checks
  • The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
  • Social media issues and drafting social media policies
  • BYOD programs and electronic resources policies
  • Surveillance of employees' electronic communications
  • The Federal Wiretap Act
  • The Federal Stored Communications Act
  • Screening technologies
  • Location tracking and use of GPS-enabled devices
  • Workplace searches

Kwabena has been certified by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) as a Certified Information Privacy Professional for the U.S. and Europe (CIPP/US; CIPP/E), which demonstrates his understanding of global concepts of privacy and data protection law and practice, and how these components apply in the workplace.

A frequent writer on privacy topics, Kwabena has been published in a variety of publications including Law360, Inside Counsel Magazine, and Corporate Counsel, and routinely speaks on privacy and information security related issues.

Credentials & Recognition

Speaking Engagements

Senior Corporate Leadership Needs You! How HR and In-House Legal Can Help Prevent and Respond to the Next Killer Data Breach

  • May 8, 2024
  • Littler Executive Employer Conference, Phoenix, AZ

Operationalizing Privacy: Building a Privacy Program to Manage the Explosion of Privacy Laws

  • May 11, 2023
  • Littler Executive Employer Conference, Phoenix, AZ

Finding the Cure for Data Protection Overload: Practical Solutions for Managing the Onslaught of New U.S. and Global Data Protection Laws

  • May 5, 2022
  • Littler Executive Employer Conference

California Privacy Rights Act Workshop: Practical Steps for Compliance with Human Resources Data

  • May 4, 2022
  • Littler Executive Employer Conference

The Pandemic May Be Coming to an End, but New State Privacy Laws and Remote Work Complications Ensure that Data Protection Challenges Will Continue

  • May 12, 2021
  • 2021 Littler Executive Employer Conference

Biometric Technology in the Workplace: Satisfying Compliance Obligations and Avoiding Data Security Risk

  • February 11, 2020
  • National Association of Security Companies Private Security Leaders’ Roundtable

Focus on Social Media -- Social Media in the Workplace, Policies, Best Practices and Social Media Background Checks

  • November 15, 2019
  • California Employment Law Council Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA

The Push and Pull of Workplace Technology: Anticipating and Minimizing Risks While Reaping the Benefits of the Latest Advances

  • October 24, 2019
  • Florida Regional Employer Conference, Miami, FL

Responding to the Insider Threat

  • June 26, 2019
  • IG3 Mid-Atlantic Conference, Washington, D.C.

The Push and Pull of Workplace Technology: Anticipating and Minimizing Risks While Repeating the Benefits of the Latest Advances

  • May 30, 2019
  • 2019 Chicago Employer Conference, Chicago, IL

Hot Topics: The California Consumer Privacy Act

  • May 2019
  • The 2019 Executive Employer® Conference, Phoenix, AZ

Getting Ahead Of The Curve: Strategies For Addressing The Latest Privacy And Information Security Developments In Today’s Technology-Driven Workplace

  • September 21, 2018
  • 2018 Rocky Mountain Employer Conference

Workplace Monitoring & Protecting Your Company: Privacy Risks and Information Security Concerns

  • May 16, 2018
  • National Business Institute, Chicago, IL

Regulating, Monitoring and Investigating Employees’ Social Media Activity

  • December 12, 2017
  • Center for Competitive Management Webinar

Employee Monitoring: Protecting Your Workplace and Preserving Employees’ Privacy Rights

  • December 6, 2017
  • National Business Institute, Chicago, IL

The Current State of Employment Laws Related to Social Media

  • October 27, 2017
  • National Bar Association Labor & Employment Section Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA

HIPAA and State Privacy Laws Governing Group Health Plan Data: Ensuring Compliance, Mitigating Risk

  • May 18, 2017
  • Center for Competitive Management Webinar

Wearables (and Other Technology) in the Workplace – and the Hidden Legal Risks

  • April 27, 2017
  • National Employment Law Council’s Annual Conference, Denver, CO

Monitoring Your Workplace in the Digital Age: Privacy Considerations for Employers

  • December 5, 2016
  • National Business Institute, Chicago, IL

Human Resources Boot Camp: HIPAA Training

  • November 9, 2016
  • Client Seminar

Current Workplace Privacy Concerns (HIPAA & Wearables)

  • October 11, 2016
  • International Association of Privacy Professionals, Chicago, IL

Workplace Privacy and Data Security Update

  • September 21, 2016
  • National Business Institute, Chicago, IL

HIPAA Privacy In The Workplace

  • September 14, 2016
  • Client Seminar

Drafting Must-Have Policies for Today's Employee Handbooks

  • November 18, 2015
  • Thompson Information Services Webinar

Employment Law Update

  • June 10, 2015
  • National Business Institute (NBI)

Additional Thought Leadership

Littler on Data Protection and Release of Personal Information, HIPAA and Related Laws

  • July 2023

Illinois Amendments to Eavesdropping Statute Signed Into Law

  • January 12, 2015
  • Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

More Immigrants, More Laws, More Work

  • May 2014
  • Chicago Lawyer

Diversity of a Different Kind

  • April 30, 2013
  • Profiles in Diversity Journal

Political Beliefs and Job Protection

  • April 2, 2013
  • Chicago Lawyer

World commerce enlarges legal puzzle

  • February 1, 2013
  • Chicago Lawyer

3 Tips for Employers Disciplining Employees For Social Media Activity

  • September 24, 2012
  • InsideCounsel

Barriers to a Borderless Market

  • September 1, 2012
  • Chicago Lawyer

4 tips for employers drafting social media policies

  • August 17, 2012
  • InsideCounsel

The British Take One Approach

  • July 1, 2012
  • Chicago Lawyer

What not to do when reviewing job applicants’ social media pages

  • June 21, 2012
  • InsideCounsel

The Rising Global Law Firm

  • May 2012
  • Chicago Lawyer

A Radical New View of Restrictive Covenants in Illinois

  • January 27, 2012
  • Law360.com

Employing The Law

  • December 2011
  • Chicago Lawyer

The Deregulation Debate

  • October 2011
  • Chicago Lawyer

Tweeting at Your Own Risk?

  • August 2011
  • Chicago Lawyer

Our Own Quasi-Legal Revolution

  • April 2011
  • Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

The Death of the Junior Associate?

  • February 2011
  • Chicago Lawyer

The Law Needs to DREAM

  • November 2010
  • Chicago Lawyer

It's A Small (Legal) World At Local Law Firms

  • April 21, 2010
  • Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

An International Perspective

  • August 2009
  • Chicago Lawyer

Books & Book Chapters

Sections of Chapter 21: International Labor and Employment Law

  • International Corporate Practice: A Practitioner’s Guide to Global Success
  • Practising Law Institute, chapter co-authors: Philip Berkowitz and Trent Sutton
  • February 2021
  • Littler on Data Protection and Release of Personal Information: HIPAA and Related Laws
  • Littler National Employer Library, Co-author
  • 2017

The Developing Labor Law Supplement

  • Bloomberg BNA
  • Dual Employer Operations: The “Double-Breasted” Issue, Chapter 13, Contributing author
  • 2013-2015

Let us know how we can help you navigate your particular workplace legal issues.