Constangy and Cyber Team Named Finalists in 2026 Zywave Cyber Risk Awards
Constangy is pleased to announce that the firm and two of its attorneys have been named finalists in the 2026 Zywave Cyber Risk Awards, recognizing excellence and leadership in the cybersecurity and risk management industry.
Constangy has been named a finalist for “Cyber Law Firm of the Year,” while Sean Hoar, chair of the firm's Cybersecurity & Data Privacy practice, has been named a finalist for the “Cyber Visionary Award.” In addition, Alyssa Watzman, partner and vice chair of the firm’s Cybersecurity & Data Privacy practice, has been named a finalist for “Cyber Risk Industry Person of the Year – Attorney.”
The Cyber Risk Awards, hosted annually by Zywave and now in its 13th year, recognize the individuals and organizations shaping the cyber risk marketplace through innovation, leadership, and client service. The awards are determined through a community-driven voting process, widely regarded as one of the industry’s only “people’s choice” recognitions.
Voting is open through May 22, 2026, at 11:45 p.m. ET, and members of the cyber risk and insurance community are encouraged to participate by casting their votes on the awards website. Winners will be announced at the Cyber Risk Awards ceremony on June 11, 2026, in New York City.
Sean Hoar is a partner in Constangy’s Portland office and serves as chair of the firm’s national Cyber Team. He has more than 25 years of experience advising on data privacy and information security matters. Sean previously served as a cyber attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was the lead cyber attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon and worked with the Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section in Washington, D.C. He collaborated extensively with federal agencies, including the FBI and Secret Service, on complex cybercrime investigations and prosecutions and received the DOJ Director’s Award twice. Sean holds multiple cybersecurity and privacy certifications, including GISP, CISSP, and CIPP/US, and regularly assists clients in responding to data breaches and managing cyber risk.
Alyssa Watzman is vice chair of Constangy’s Cyber Team, based in Denver, with over five years of experience in data security and cyber risk management. She has led hundreds of clients through complex data breaches, ransom negotiations, and regulatory compliance challenges, often collaborating with cyber insurers and brokers to enhance clients' privacy and security resilience. As a respected thought leader in cybersecurity, Alyssa regularly shares her insights at industry events, offering practical guidance on cyber insurance and risk mitigation strategies.
The Constangy Cyber Team collaborates with businesses to develop strategies to proactively reduce risks to data, comply with data privacy requirements, respond quickly to data security incidents, and defend against any litigation and/or regulatory action following a data security incident. The Constangy Cyber Team differentiates itself from other cybersecurity and data privacy law practices due to its extensive experience, responsiveness, subject matter expertise, law enforcement backgrounds, geographic footprint, thought leadership, and diversity. Our attorneys have managed thousands of responses to data security incidents and similarly assisted thousands of clients with data privacy matters. The team has extensive law enforcement and regulatory experience and includes former federal prosecutors, former state prosecutors, a former FBI cyber agent, former privacy officers, and former regulators, several of whom have at least 15 to 20 years of experience working with data privacy laws and/or managing responses to information security incidents.
