I am the Chair of the Privacy & Data Security group of McNees, a regional commercial law firm of more than 130 attorneys. I began work on privacy issues in 2005, representing financial institutions successfully in some of the first data breach lawsuits against national retailers.Today, I counsel clients on privacy issues, including the development of data security policies and data breach response plans. I also help businesses respond to data breaches, including in rectifying and reporting those events, and in limiting the liability of companies victimized by hackers. I have earned the Certified Information Privacy Professional (U.S. and Europe) designations from the International Association of Privacy Professionals, which accredits lawyers and other professionals with knowledge of privacy best practices, information technology issues, and relevant U.S. and international laws. I have written extensively for a variety of publications about the best practical steps that institutions can take to safeguard personally identifiable information collected from customers, employees, taxpayers, and other individuals. Those publications include the Legal Intelligencer and Metropolitan Corporate Counsel.When I am not working on data security matters, my legal practice otherwise is focused on complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on defending class action lawsuits. I have defended clients from class action claims in areas including civil rights and employment practices. I also litigate all manner of other commercial cases on behalf of organizations and individuals.Specialties: CIPP/US, JD, cybersecurity, data security, privacy, information security, data breach response, class actions, risk assessment.