Paul Jurcys, PhD

About

I am a copyright and IP attorney licensed in both California and the European Union (Lithuania), specializing in the intersection of data, AI technologies, and innovation.

I am the Co-Founder and Chief Legal Officer of Prifina, a San Francisco–based personal data technology company launched in 2018. At Prifina, I also serve as Chief Privacy, Data & AI Officer, where our mission is to build a human-centric data ecosystem. We are developing a platform that enables intelligent apps to run privately on top of each individual’s own data, empowering people to own and control their personal AI agents. I believe that personal data is a modern luxury—and that personal AI should help us live healthier, more creative, and more meaningful lives.

Beyond my work at Prifina, I am deeply engaged in shaping the legal and policy debates on generative AI. I publish widely on emerging technology and regulation and regularly speak at academic, legal, and technology conferences. In 2025–2026, I am a Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley School of Law. I also serve as a Senior Lecturer at Vilnius University Faculty of Law, where I teach courses on human-centric data privacy law and CopyrightX—a joint program with Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

My academic background includes an LL.M. from Harvard Law School and a Ph.D. in Law from Kyushu University (Japan), where I wrote my dissertation on cross-border litigation in intellectual property cases under the supervision of Professor Toshiyuki Kono. I also received the prestigious JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship at Kyushu University.

With over 15 years of experience in intellectual property, copyright, and data privacy, I now focus on the transformative challenges and opportunities posed by generative AI. Currently, I am working on two forthcoming books: Data Justiceand The Creativity Machine, both expected to be published in late 2025 to early 2026.

Feel free to connect with me on Linkedin.