Overview
Valerie provides business-centric guidance for commercial and technology transactions, particularly when data privacy issues arise.
Valerie advises companies on commercial and technology transactions, with a focus on data privacy, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and product counseling. She works at the intersection of legal risk, technology, and regulatory compliance, helping clients navigate complex legal frameworks while advancing their business objectives.
Valerie counsels on regulatory and privacy frameworks, supports incident response and breach management, and advises on security and risk mitigation strategies. She regularly partners with business, engineering, and product teams to translate complex legal requirements into practical, operational solutions.
Valerie has experience across a range of industries, including technology, AI, SaaS, media, advertising, fintech, the public sector, and nonprofit organizations. Her work includes drafting and negotiating complex commercial and technology agreements, advising on data governance and compliance programs, managing breach response, and advising on permissible data use in regulated and high-risk contexts.
Valerie’s pragmatic, business-focused approach is shaped by multiple secondments with a multinational fintech company and in-house experience at a bioscience research institution.
Valerie holds CIPP-US and CIPM certifications and is an active member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals. She has completed advanced coursework in privacy, data science, and artificial intelligence.
Credentials
Education
- Seattle University School of Law
JD - University of Washington
BA - CIPP-US Certification
- CIPM Certification
Admissions
- Washington
Awards & Accolades
- Graduated magna cum laude from Seattle University School of Law
- Seattle University School of Law - Law Review - Executive Editor of Notes & Comments
Memberships
- IAPP
- Washington State Bar Association
- King County Bar Association
Community Service
- Valerie partners with Communities Rise to provide pro-bono legal services.
Publications & Speaking Engagements
- "To Kill a Mockingbird Reimagined: Ethics, Equity, and a Lawyer’s Role Across Time," Seattle William L. Dwyer Inn of Court CLE, October 13, 2025 (co-presenter).
- "The Ethics of Using Generative AI in Legal Practice," Summit Law Group CLE, July 16, 2025 (co-presenter with Maki Arakawa, Heath Dixon, and Derek Ko).
- Valerie Shmigol, The United States Is Enabling an Outer Space Arms Race, 46 SEATTLE U. L. REV. 175 (2022).
- Jessica Mogk, Valerie Shmigol, Marvin Futrell, Bert Stover, Amy Hagopian, Court-Imposed Fines as a Feature of the Homeless – Incarceration Nexus, 42 J. PUBLIC HEALTH 2, e107-e119 (2019).