Verrus

It’s officially my favourite time of year as a Data Privacy Legal Recruiter: Spotify Wrapped season! The annual reminder of just how much data a company can collect while making us thank them for it. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing everyone flex their top artists (and yes, I’m also side-eyeing my own questionable 3 am listening choices). But Wrapped is more than a fun music recap… it’s a masterclass in behavioral profiling. Behind those bright graphics? Thousands, sometimes millions of data points about how you live, feel, and move through your day. Your moods. Your routines. Your skip habits. Your emotional patterns. This year Spotify can even guess your age based solely on what you listen to! Fun? Absolutely Innocent? …mostly A massive display of inference power? 100% Wrapped reminds us that companies don’t just know what we like, they can predict who we are. And that’s exactly why strong privacy teams (and the attorneys who run them!) matter more than ever. So enjoy being in the top 1% of Swifties… Just remember: your playlist says more about you than you think 🎧😉

The fuzz on top lips around the world this month is more than just a hairy trend. Growing, moving or hosting for Movember allows us to fund research and programs for prostate and testicular cancer. That's why we need your help. Join the movement. Movember.com/donate

Exciting personal update! I recently got married! As a result, my surname has changed from Hardaker to Spence. I’m still the same Rhea, just with a new last name! Please note this change if you’re trying to reach me or reference me professionally. My email address is now rspence@verrusgroup.com Thanks for your support and understanding!

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been promoted to Business Manager - U.S. Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Law at Verrus! When I joined Verrus just 12 months ago, I stepped into the world of U.S. legal recruitment with a mission - to combine my background in law (LLB, LPC, and LLM) with my passion for connecting outstanding attorneys and forward-thinking law firms. What began as a new challenge quickly became something much more. Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of partnering with some of the country’s leading Am Law 100/200 firms and elite boutiques, supporting lateral, counsel, and partner-level searches in high-impact practice areas. This promotion marks an exciting next chapter. I’m incredibly grateful to the clients and candidates who’ve trusted me with their careers and searches, and to my colleagues at Verrus for their support, mentorship, and belief in what I do. Recruiting in this space has shown me how vital the right people are to the evolving intersection of law, technology, and governance - and I’m proud to play a small part in shaping that landscape. Here’s to growth, gratitude, and continuing to raise the bar in 2025.