Summary

Zach’s practice focuses on privacy and data security. Specifically, Zach assists clients in the areas of privacy compliance, data governance, and guidance in the aftermath of an information security incident, including data breach. Zach has experience advising clients with respect to FTC investigations, federal privacy regulations (such as HIPAA, FCRA, TCPA and GLBA), state laws governing personally identifiable information (e.g., CCPA/CPRA), foreign privacy regulations (e.g., PIPEDA and GDPR), artificial intelligence, and government contracting security requirements (e.g., NIST 800-171 and CMMC 2.0). For his clients, he also provides regulatory analysis, risk management, policy development, training, and audits. Zach speaks and writes regularly on cutting-edge data privacy and cybersecurity issues and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional in the fields of United States and European Union laws and regulations. Zach also holds the Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) accreditation from the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

The Dayton Business Journal named Zach a member of the 2018 Forty Under 40 class of emerging leaders and the Dayton Bar Association recognized him as a 2018 Rising Star of the Bar. He is an adjunct professor of cybersecurity law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law and Wright State University, where he earned the 2017 Excellence in Teaching Award for Adjunct Faculty. He is active in several legal and community organizations and serves as Emeritus Legal Advisor for the Centerville High School Mock Trial Team. In 2018, Zach was inducted in the Centerville Education Foundation’s Hall of Fame for his ten years of service to the Centerville community. In 2021, Zach graduated the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Dayton program – the fourth oldest continuously operating community leadership program in the U.S.

Zach earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where he served as managing editor of the Indiana Law Journal and as Executive Problem Co-Author of the Sherman Minton Moot Court Board.

Awards

Education

  • Indiana University Maurer School of Law (2014)

    magna cum laude

  • University of Dayton (2011)

    magna cum laude

Admissions

  • State - Supreme Court of Ohio
  • Federal - Southern District of Ohio

Speeches and Publications

  • Panel, Developing a Privacy Program, Masters Conference, September 12, 2023
  • Presentation, OpenAI, Open Book: Emerging Privacy and Security Issues in the Age of Generative AI, Columbus IAPP KnowledgeNet, August 31, 2023
  • Phishing Season: A Lawyer’s Guide to Navigating Ransomware, CinPA Security SIG June 15, 2023
  • Presentation, A Litigator’s Guide to Navigating Data Breaches and Ransomware, Dayton Bar Association Inn of Court, April 25, 2023
  • Panel, Federal Alignment to Cybersecurity, Cyber Dialogue with Industry, February 27, 2023
  • Presentation, Ran-some, Lose-some: Preparing for and Surviving Legal Requirements of Ransomware Attacks, Northern Kentucky University Cybersecurity Symposium, September 28, 2022
  • Presentation, Empowering and Teaching Students to Advocate, Ohio Center for Law-Related Education, September 28, 2022
  • Presentation, Security Vulnerabilities and Ransomware Shutdowns: Learning from Apache Log4j Vulnerability and the Associated Legal Duties, MyLawCLE and Federal Bar Association, August 25, 2022
  • Presentation, “Operationalizing a Privacy Program,” University of Akron Law Review Cybersecurity Symposium, March 4, 2022
  • Presentation, Ran-some, Lose-some: Preparing for and Surviving Against Ransomware Attacks, Ohio Valley ABC, January 25, 2022
  • Presentation, “Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification: Policy and Technical Requirements,” Public Contracting Institute, November 3, 2021
  • Presentation, “How Do I Actually Do This? Addressing Data Subject Rights Laws, Northern Kentucky University Cybersecurity Symposium, October 8, 2021
  • Presentation, “Your Privacy Program,” University of Dayton School of Law Program in Law & Technology Annual Seminar, June 11, 2021
  • Presentation, “Doing Your HOMEwork: Setting Up an Effective Work from Home Framework,” Technology First, July 9, 2020
  • Publication:  “Working from Home?  Online Scammers are Not Social Distancing,”  Dayton Bar Briefs, April 2020
  • Presentation, “What’s New? Exploring Advancements in Technology During the Big Data Era,” Dayton Bar Association Corporate Counsel Committee, November 21, 2019
  • Presentation, “What’s Law Got to Do With It? Cybersecurity Essentials for Lawyers,” Dayton Intellectual Property Lawyers Association, November 1, 2019
  • Ohio Women’s Bar Association article, ” Ohio Incentivizes Businesses to Get Serious About Data Security,” Fall 2019
  • Presentation, “NIST Compliance and Industry Updates,” Wright Dialogue with Industry, July 18, 2019
  • Presentation, “GDPR’s Paper Anniversary:  How We Have Documented Progress and Lessons Learned,” University of Dayton School of Law Program in Law & Technology Annual Seminar, June 7, 2019
  • Presentation, “Can You Hack Back?”  Ohio Cyber Dialogue with Industry, May 8, 2019
  • Publication, “A Litigator’s Primer on European Union and American Privacy Laws and Regulations,” American Bar Association Litigation Journal, Winter 2018
  • Publication, “SEC Warns Celebrities About Cryptocurrency Endorsements,” TYL (American Bar Association), February 2, 2018
  • Presentation, “Data Governance Basics for IP Lawyers,” Dayton Bar Association Intellectual Property Seminar, December 21, 2017
  • Presentation (Moderator), “Data Breach and Cybersecurity Summit,” Ohio State Bar Association, December 11, 2017
  • Interviewed in “Net Neutrality Vote Pending,” WDTN 2 News, November 27, 2017
  • Presentation, “Data Governance for Law Firms,” Dayton Chancery Club, November 17, 2017
  • Publication, “HBO Refuses to Bend the Knee During Data Breach,” American Bar Association, November 2017
  • Presentation, “Anatomy of a Data Breach: Lessons Learned from Equifax,” Dayton Bar Association Corporate Counsel Committee, October 26, 2017
  • Presentation, “Biometrics & The Importance of Privacy Impact Assessments: What We Can Do Better,” Indiana University Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research, October 19, 2017
  • Presentation, “Virtual Reality: Altering the Way We Look at Data Governance & Privacy Impact Assessments,” Northern Kentucky University Cybersecurity Symposium, October 13, 2017
  • Interviewed in “How to Spot and Prevent Cyberbullying: Twitter Q&A”, PBS NewsHour, July 12, 2017
  • Quoted in “Can You Record Fireworks with a Drone?” Consumer Reports, July 1, 2017
  • Interviewed in “Privacy Law with Zach Heck – Is CIPP/US Certification Worth it?” Law School Strategy, June 21, 2017

Professional Affiliations

  • International Association of Privacy Professionals

    Member

  • Wright State University

    Adjunct Professor, Cybersecurity Law (2017 – Present)

  • Indiana University Maurer School of Law

    Adjunct Professor, Cybersecurity Law (2020 – Present)

  • Federal Bar Association - Dayton Chapter

    Executive Committee (Vice President 2019 – 2020; Secretary 2018 – 2019)

  • Dayton Bar Association

    Member

  • Ohio State Bar Association

    Member

  • American Bar Association

    Member

Community Involvement

  • Leadership Dayton

    Class of 2021

  • Campaign for Equal Justice

    Access to Justice Awards, Co-Chair (2020)
    Joint Development Committee, Member (2019 – 2023)

  • Brigid's Path

    Board of Directors, Vice President (2022 – Present)
    Board of Directors, Secretary (2019 – 2022)

  • SICSA Society of Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals

     Board of Directors (Vice President, 2024 – Present; Member 2019 – 2023)

  • Centerville High School Mock Trial

    Legal Advisor (2006 – 2023)
    Emeritus Advisor (2023 – Present)

  • Dayton Bar Association Editorial Board

    Co-Chair (2017 – 2020)

  • Cincinnati IAPP KnowledgeNet

    Co-Chair (2015 – 2018)