Matthew Smith is an associate at Mullen Coughlin, practicing primarily in the Firm’s Incident Response practice area. As a “Breach Coach” for organizations who are experiencing or have experienced a data privacy and security incident, Matthew coordinates the investigation into the incident. This includes engaging third-party incident response vendors to identify the nature and impact of the incident on the victim organization’s network. He then works with the vendors and the organization to determine any legal, regulatory or contractual obligations stemming from the incident, such as law enforcement and regulatory body reporting and notification to customers/clients. Matthew also coordinates, if applicable, other post-incident services on behalf of the victim organization such as credit and identity monitoring and internal and external communications.

Matthew has gained valuable data privacy and security experience from previous professional roles which he brings to Mullen Coughlin. As a member of the Fraud and Consumer Protection Division for the Delaware Department of Justice, Matthew reviewed data breach notifications from private entities to ensure their compliance with state law; provided summaries and analysis on private regulations such as the Collection and Use of Personally Identifiable Data Act (CUPID); and assisted in investigations and compliance enforcement of consumer frauds, scams and deceptive business practices on behalf of Delaware residents.

While a J.D. candidate at the George Washington University Law School, Matthew was a Legal Intern for both the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties and the U.S. House of Representative’s Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. In these roles, he engrossed himself in the review of privacy-related documentation and preparation of oversight hearings involving compliance with privacy regulations and policies.

Before joining Mullen Coughlin, Matthew practiced labor and employment (L&E) law at a Philadelphia, PA-based law firm. There, he represented clients in various L&E matters involving contractual disputes, discrimination, medical leave and wrongful termination.

Outside of his practice, Matthew serves as the Chairman of the Scholarship Committee for the annual Parents and Guardians College Planning Conference, while also engaging in other volunteer work in his community. He also gives back to his alma maters as a member of the GW Black Alumni Association and the Morehouse Alumni Association.