(Reuters) - Greenberg Traurig has boosted its privacy and cybersecurity team with two additions from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in Chicago and Denver, the firm said Wednesday.

Jena Valdetero and David Zetoony, who join Greenberg Traurig as shareholders, will serve as co-chairs of the firm's U.S. data, privacy and cybersecurity practice.

They join the firm's global data privacy practice, which is co-chaired by shareholders Gretchen Ramos and Viola Bensinger. Creating distinct U.S. and global teams was the best way to integrate the new partners' practice into the firm, Valdetero said in an interview.

The data privacy and security field is in flux, Zetoony added, noting what he called an "intense" focus on privacy and cybersecurity across the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia.

In the U.S., there's particular attention on the California Consumer Privacy Act and the California Privacy Rights Act, a privacy ballot initiative that Californians will vote on in November, Zetoony said. On the data security side, there has been an increase in data breaches and attacks during the pandemic, which Valdetero said is a "huge threat" to companies.

Valdetero, joining in Chicago, has led more than 1,000 data breach investigations, defends companies against privacy and data breach litigation, and counsels companies on privacy and security compliance, the firm said. Zetoony, who joins in Denver, focuses his practice on helping businesses comply with privacy and cybersecurity laws and has defended companies in investigations brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and other regulatory agencies, the firm said.

Both Zetoony and Valdetero practiced at BCLP for many years, joining Bryan Cave more than a decade before the firm merged with Berwin Leighton Paisner in 2018.

The duo also bring associate Jessica Pederson with them.

BCLP said in a statement that the firm wishes them well and has a growing data privacy practice itself, noting it added a partner in London earlier this month from Sidley Austin.

Greenberg Traurig has about 2,200 attorneys in 40 locations, the firm said.