By LSJ Team -
Privacy and data governance lawyer David Mesman reveals what inspired him to join the Privacy and Data Committee, and how the experience has "broadened and deepened" his legal practice.
When did you join a Law Society policy committee and what was your motivation for doing so?
2025 was my first ‘tour of duty’ with the Privacy & Data Committee. My primary motivation for joining the Committee was to have a ‘seat at the table’ and take an active role in commenting on and helping to shape the final form of the Commonwealth privacy reforms – or at least parsing out how Tranches 2 and 3 would be implemented in practical terms. More broadly, I was keen to ‘rub shoulders’ with some of the brightest sparks in the legal community – and learn from them. Every Committee meeting has been a master class in privacy law and greatly expanded my understanding of the law and practice in the area, along with cybersecurity matters, AI, workplace surveillance, identity management and a host of developing policy and legal issues.
What do you enjoy the most about being involved with the committee?
Ibid! Rubbing shoulders with some great legal thinkers and having lively debates on topics that are important to me – and have significant impacts on our broader community.
Is there a highlight (be it a submission or piece of advocacy) from your time on the committee?
More of a pleasant surprise than a highlight – it’s all the laughter and banter in the meetings. When I first joined the committee, I’d assumed that meetings and sub-committee work would be quite formal and rigid. It’s the opposite, in fact. The Committee Chair (Olga Ganopolsky) and Deputy Chair (Amber Cerny) not only keep us on a track with important agenda items and practice developments, but they keep us entertained!
How do you balance the workload of the committee with your other professional responsibilities?
I don’t think of the committee work as requiring a balance, per se. Instead, I think about it as way to develop and broaden my practice, along with testing my understanding of core legal principles. Plus, the ‘homework reading’ for the Committee helps with honing ideas for articles, thought leadership pieces and continuity professional development seminars that are ‘part-and-parcel’ to growing a legal practice.
What would be your advice for someone considering joining a committee?
Join! And get active with a sub-committee or two! As I said before, it’s fun and intellectually stimulating. And you’re guaranteed to meet and learn from superb lawyers – especially if you join the Privacy and Data Committee.
How has your involvement with the committee enhanced your daily legal practice?
In addition to my earlier points, the Privacy and Data Committee has really expanded my understanding of privacy and data governance law. That’s also enabled me to ask questions that I would not have considered before. It’s also helped in formulating creative approaches to solving problems for clients or suggesting policy initiatives that might be adopted by regulators and government entities. That’s hugely rewarding on a personal and a professional level.
Details on how to submit an Expression of Interest to join a Policy Committee, as well as information on the Committees that are currently recruiting, are available here.
