PLG is pleased to welcome Axel Spies as a partner in our Privacy & Cybersecurity and International practice groups in Washington, DC.
Axel is a trusted advisor for organizations navigating the evolving intersections of technology, privacy, and global regulation and a prolific author. With decades of international experience—as an attorney in Washington, Moscow, and Germany—he has a long track record of handling complex cross-border matters ranging from licensing and competition to telecommunications, national and international data privacy, and AI.
He counsels clients on European data privacy, including GDPR, EU-US Data Privacy Framework, cross-border data transfers, telecommunications, German corporate matters, EU sanctions, and plays a leading role in interpreting and implementing the new EU AI Act. He structures compliance programs for multinational corporations, guides global data flows, and advises on corporate transactions (M&A) and corporate policies, outsourcing, international eDiscovery, and international data breaches. He also trains client teams on GDPR, international eDiscovery, and AI Act compliance, holding a CIPP/E certificate from IAPP.
A recognized thought leader with more than 25 years of legal experience, Axel has co-authored books and published more than 100 articles on various legal topics. He co-publishes the German Journal of Data Protection (ZD) that he co-founded, the European telecoms journal Multimedia & Law (MMR), and serves as a correspondent for the American German Institute at Johns Hopkins University. His recent honors include recognition in Who’s Who Legal for both Data Privacy & Protection and Telecoms & Media (2024–2025). He was recently named Number 1 Data Lawyer in USA - District of Columbia in the 2026 Client Choice Awards by Lexology Index.
Axel is fluent in German, English, and French, with working knowledge of Russian, Dutch, and Italian, enhancing his ability to serve clients seamlessly across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
Prior to joining PLG, Axel was a Special Legal Consultant at Morgan Lewis and previously held senior positions at Bingham McCutchen, Swidler Berlin, and VEBA AG (now E.ON). He earned his Doctor of Law (Dr. iur.) at Bonn University, a graduate degree in political science at Sciences Po Paris, and studied at American University in Washington, DC. Axel is admitted in both DC and Germany (as Rechtsanwalt).
