Mullen Coughlin, Cybersecurity & Data Privacy

Mullen Coughlin Partner Kevin Mekler presents at the Midsize Enterprise Summit (MES) Spring event on April 30, 2024 in Orlando, FL.

Designed for IT professionals and departments from middle-market organizations, the MES Spring event provides pre-qualified attendees with market intelligence and the opportunity to discover new technology solutions to support their organization’s strategic initiatives in the short- and long-term.

Kevin’s session, “Navigating Incident Response,” wherein Adam Dennison (VP, The Channel Co.,) also presents, attendees learn the ins and outs of the incident response process so that they are prepared for a data privacy and security incident when one occurs.

Learn more about the MES Spring event here: https://event.thechannelco.com/mes-spring/.  

Mullen Coughlin recently announced the elevation of 13 attorneys – five to Senior Associate, six to Partner and two to Senior Partner – encompassing all four of the Firm’s practice groups.

Advancing to Senior Associate are:

Guy Bowe. Primarily practicing in the Incident Response practice group, Guy joined in 2022 and serves as a Breach Coach for organizations who have been the victim of a data privacy and security incident. Located in Virginia, he received his J.D. from Pennsylvania State University and is licensed to practice in Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Christian Martin. Christian is based in Devon, PA and practices in the Firm’s Advisory Compliance practice group. Joining in 2021, he routinely advises organizations on the development of comprehensive data privacy and information security compliance programs, counsels organizations through information security preparedness and provides incident response support. Christian received his J.D. from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania.

John Norton. John received his J.D. from Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania. Since joining the firm in 2022, he has been a Breach Coach in the Firm’s Incident Response practice group, handling the response and investigation into data privacy and security incidents on behalf of organizations of all sizes and across all industry group sectors. He is based in Devon, PA.

Nick Pontzer. Joining the Firm’s Privacy Litigation practice group in 2021, Nick represents organizations from all industries in data privacy and security-related litigation across the United States, including some of the most complex and cutting-edge class action litigation matters Mullen Coughlin handles. He received his J.D. from University of Chicago Law School and is licensed to practice in New York, where he is based.

Sam Son. In Devon, PA, Sam joined the firm in 2021 and devotes his practice to providing incident response services to organizations who have had, or suspect to have had, a data privacy and security incident. He received his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania.

Joining the Firm’s partnership are:

Kaitlin Clemens. Kaitlin has been with Mullen Coughlin since 2020 and has continuously served as a Breach Coach in the Incident Response practice group. In representing hundreds of organizations, she has developed relationships with cyber insurance carrier and broker and other industry partners to provide effective and efficient incident response services to organizations victimized by a data privacy and security incident. Based in Devon, PA, Kaitlin received her J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania.

Jimmy Cope. Jimmy Cope, who joined Mullen Coughlin’s Devon, PA office in 2019, is also in the Firm’s Incident Response practice group. While a Senior Associate, he was a secondee with a cyber insurance provider – experience he now bears as a Partner interacting with cyber insurance claims teams and other industry partners during investigations and responses to data privacy and security incidents. Jimmy is licensed to practice in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and received his J.D. cum laude from Widener University School of Law.

Jordan O’Donnell. In Devon, PA, Jordan is a member of the Privacy Litigation practice group. Since 2022, he has leveraged his extensive litigation experience in representing organizations from all industries in data breach class action and other data privacy and security-related litigation across the country. He received his J.D. cum laude from Boston College Law School and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

Justin Schiff. Justin, based in Devon, PA, joined the Incident Response practice group in 2021 and represents clients across multiple industry sectors in data privacy and security incident response. He has developed important relationships with the various incident response stakeholders, including forensic investigators and law enforcement, and uses those relationships to effectively guide his clients through the unfamiliar and daunting incident response process. He received his J.D. magna cum laude from Capitol University Law School and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Ohio.

Jillian Seifrit. Jillian is a Devon, PA-based Breach Coach with industry experience in telecommunications, life sciences, chemicals, energy and financial services. Since joining in 2021, she is called upon to assist organizations in these industries in investigating data privacy and security incidents, responding to regulatory investigations and determining notification obligations based on state, federal and international law, contractual obligations and industry-specific requirements. Jillian received her J.D. magna cum laude from Widener University Delaware Law School.

Erica Wicas. Joining in 2021 in Devon, PA, Erica guides her clients in their response and investigation into data privacy and security incidents. She works closely with clients and other incident response stakeholders – including cyber insurance claims teams, law enforcement and third-party forensic investigators, to review the incident and provides guidance on the myriad of state and federal privacy law obligations the organization may have. Erica received her J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

New Senior Partners include:

Greg Lederman. Greg has been a Partner with the Firm since 2020 and is based in Devon, PA. His advancement to Senior Partner will allow him to continue to provide exceptional Breach Coach services to organizations, but also provide mentorship to his fellow Partners and the Associate team. Greg received his J.D. from John Marshall Law School and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Sam Sica. Sam, in Devon, PA, joined the Partnership in 2020. He serves as a steady-hand when organizations are stressed dealing with an incident and the crisis that comes with them. He continues to play a vital role in the development of junior partners, associates and industry partners he works with on a daily basis. Sam received his J.D. from Vermont Law School and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania.

“The elevation of these 13 attorneys is well-deserved and a testament to Mullen Coughlin’s continued advancement of its team members to not only reward them for their hard work and individual contributions to the Firm, but also to continue to provide excellent client service and support for the Firm’s clients, industry partners and friends. We are excited to watch these individuals continue to grow and make an impact in their respective practices and within their community,” says Managing Member Jennifer A. Coughlin.

Mullen Coughlin welcomed six (6) new associates to the firm this past March – Brian Sinclair, Obi Onyeozili, Michelle Rodriguez, Jacqueline Bucchere, Patrick Mahoney and Jacob Saltz – all practicing in the Incident Response practice group.

Brian Sinclair is a Senior Associate based in New Jersey and brings over 25 years of cyber prosecutorial experience to his practice. As a former Sr. Assistant Prosecutor in Bergen County, NJ, Brian spearheaded the first-of-its-kind Cyber Crimes Unit in 2014 and served as the Unit’s Chief Assistant Prosecutor for over 17 years. During that time, he built relationships with state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Homeland Security, and leverages these relationships when responding to data privacy and security incidents on behalf of his clients. Brian received his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and is licensed to practice in New Jersey.

Obi Onyeozili, based in Washington, DC, joins Mullen Coughlin after five years of practicing antitrust litigation at a full-service law firm. As a former associate counsel with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Obi gained valuable experience working alongside government regulators and reviewing and analyzing evidence to recommend appropriate courses of action for the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Obi is licensed to practice in D.C. and received his J.D. from George Washington University Law School.

Michelle Rodriguez (Michi) joins the Firm from an AmLaw 50 law firm where she represented clients in complex litigation, regulatory investigations and investment fund regulatory compliance. As part of that practice, she investigated her clients’ failure to renew cyber insurance policies, as well as reviewed those policies to confirm compliance with data privacy and information security regulations enacted by financial regulators. This is experience she uses in her current practice as a Breach Coach, as well as when counseling her clients on the need for cyber insurance and compliance. Michi is based and licensed to practice in New York and she received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Jacqueline Bucchere joins Mullen Coughlin in New Jersey after working in the North American Privacy Office of a global healthcare company. Jacqueline brings to Mullen Coughlin her experience developing policies and processes to align with new consumer rights regulations, website privacy requirements and HIPAA compliance obligations. She received her J.D. from Rutgers Law School and is licensed to practice in New Jersey.

Based in Devon, Patrick Mahoney joins the Firm after several years at a commercial real estate services company. With several years of #LawFirm experience, most recently as a litigator, Patrick is experienced in counseling organizations on their legal obligations related to data privacy. He also has first-hand experience and knowledge of the insurance claims process after working in the Claims department of a global insurance carrier. Patrick received his J.D. from Widener University Delaware Law School and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania.

Jacob Salz, also in Devon, joins the Firm from an investment advisory firm where he was a Compliance Analyst assisting the Chief Compliance Officer with executing required compliance controls. He also has several years of commercial litigation experience, particularly in defending organizations in professional, commercial and business liability disputes. Jacob received his J.D. from Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania.