Elizabeth Hein
Class of 1996
Elizabeth Hein grew up in Tomah and spent much of her free time taking dance lessons, practicing her art skills and dreaming about the world outside of Tomah. Following graduation from Tomah High School in 1996, she traveled to Russia as part of a local dance troupe. That experience, combined with her natural curiosity about the world, sparked her lifelong passion for foreign affairs and international travel. She went on to attend St. Olaf College where she graduated with a triple major in Psychology, Russian Language and Russian Area Studies. After college, she attended Syracuse University where she received her law degree and a master’s degree in international relations.
Elizabeth’s career began when she joined the Law Offices of Stewart and Stewart in Washington, DC as an international trade attorney. There, she developed expertise in the international agreements and dispute resolution mechanisms of the World Trade Organization and contributed to legal briefs, congressional testimony and trade publications.
Her practice expanded when she joined the international law firm of Alston & Bird LLP where she advised private and public organizations around the world on matters involving imports, exports and international sanctions. She gained significant experience in developing corporate compliance programs and supporting clients with internal investigations. She regularly engaged with senior U.S. and foreign government officials to advocate on behalf of her clients during the course of regulatory investigations. She was promoted to partner in 2012 and subsequently served as the co-leader of the firm’s international trade group and the chair of the Washington D.C. office’s diversity committee. While at the firm, she served as a mentor to many junior attorneys.
In 2015, Elizabeth joined HP, a Fortune 100 technology company, as Senior Compliance Counsel. She not only advised the company on compliance with global trade and privacy laws, but she also supported the implementation of global compliance programs. During her time there, she helped to ensure that the company was prepared to meet its obligations with the groundbreaking EU privacy laws that came into effect in 2018. She also became well-versed in privacy laws around the world, including the laws of Brazil, Turkey, Canada, China, Japan, Russia, and many other countries.
Since 2021, Elizabeth has served as the Associate General Counsel of Privacy, Product and Compliance at Foursquare Labs. She leads a team of compliance professionals who are responsible for implementation of the company’s privacy and corporate compliance program. She regularly speaks and writes on hot topics in privacy and frequently engages with privacy thought leaders in both industry and government.
Elizabeth continues to reside in the Washington, DC area and loves to travel during her time off. Although she no longer takes dance lessons, she has developed a love of diving and looks forward to the diving adventures that take her around the world. She remains in touch with several of her local teachers/mentors and will always be grateful for how the Tomah Area School District laid the foundation for a lifetime of learning and adventure.