McDonald Hopkins continues to be a destination for top-tier legal talent with the addition of six associates

McDonald Hopkins LLC is proud to announce the addition of a talented group of first-year associates to its team. McDonald Hopkins is committed to being the first choice among its clients. With the addition of six new associates throughout several practice groups, it also continues to prove it is a destination firm for talented attorneys looking to establish their careers in a collaborative and inclusive work environment.

“We’ve brought on each of these new associates for a reason. They have diverse backgrounds and experiences, but they’re all dedicated to developing their individual practices and expertise. Their fresh perspectives only strengthen the firm’s commitment to finding practical and innovative solutions for all our clients’ needs. We are thrilled to have them on our team,” said Jim Stief, co-president of McDonald Hopkins.

The associates:

Sydney Bell, Commercial Litigation

Jeffrey A. Deiuliis, Intellectual Property

Klayvon Hermz, Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

Zachary Jacobson, Data Privacy and Cyber Security

Rebekah Paul, Mergers and Acquisitions

Christopher Spartano, Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

Sydney Bell is an Associate in the Litigation Department at McDonald Hopkins and part of the firm’s commercial litigation team. She focuses her practice on commercial litigation and general litigation matters and has additional experience advising on matters related to real estate, environmental, regulatory, transportation, bankruptcy, advertising, corporate governance, securities, and data privacy and security. Before starting her legal career, Sydney spent several years as a strategy and business consultant with Deloitte, working primarily in partnership with the FBI Office of the Private Sector and Office of the Secretary of Defense. During her time at Deloitte, Sydney obtained top security clearance for her work and also served as a representative for the firm's diversity and inclusion programs.

Jeffrey A. Deiuliis, Ph.D. is an associate in McDonald Hopkins’s Intellectual Property Department. Jeffrey is experienced in all areas of intellectual property law, including patent prosecution and litigation, trademark, copyright, and fair competition. His work includes prosecuting patent applications, counseling clients on freedom to operate in a patented space, and litigating infringement of intellectual property rights. With a doctorate in molecular biology and nutrition from the Ohio State University, Jeffrey began his legal career as an extension of his passion for scientific discovery and his appreciation for the property rights that are granted by our government as part of its recognition of the importance of scientific discovery and innovation.

Klayvon Hermz is an Associate in McDonald Hopkins’ Litigation Department and a part of the firm’s national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity team. He focuses his practice on incident notification, response, and breach coaching. He is a valuable asset to clients as he works alongside cybersecurity professionals through forensic investigations and remediation, third party and media communications, and data breach notification to individuals and regulators. Klayvon also advises clients on state, federal, and international data privacy law compliance. During his time at law school, Klayvon was a legal extern to Judge Judith E. Levy of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He previously served as a legal intern for Motorola Solutions in Chicago, Illinois, and Rocket Mortgage out of Detroit, Michigan. He also acted as Secretary as part of the founding executive board to the Canadian and American Transnational Law Moot Competition.

Zachary Jacobson is also an Associate in McDonald Hopkins’ Litigation Department and a part of the firm’s national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity team. He focuses his practice on incident response, helping clients navigate data privacy and cybersecurity emergencies and advising them on notice obligations and best practices while coordinating with other vendors and resources to make sure they recover expediently. Zachary approaches his practice with careful consideration of the unique client at hand, assessing their immediate needs while also identifying potential issues down the line and crafting thoughtful and practical solutions. Prior to starting his legal career at McDonald Hopkins, Zachary made great strides in his work for Cleveland State University's Law Data Privacy Clinic. Zachary was also heavily involved in Cleveland State University College of Law’s Journal of Law and Health. As senior editor, he wrote and published notes on privacy, biometric encryption, and the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Rebekah Paul is an Associate in the Business Department at McDonald Hopkins and part of the firm's Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group. She has experience in a wide range of legal areas, including business and mergers and acquisitions, estate planning, and business restructuring. Rebekah previously served as a law clerk at McDonald Hopkins and has additional experience clerking in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio. In addition, she served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Arthur I. Harris in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Ohio. While at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, she served as Vice President of the Women’s Law Association.

Christopher Spartano is an Associate in McDonald Hopkins’ Litigation Department and also joins the firm’s national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity team. His practice focuses on incident notification, investigation, and recovery. He is dedicated to assisting businesses and other clients respond and repair from a variety of cyber-related occurrences, including ransomware, email and data compromises, wire fraud, and inadvertent disclosures. In addition, Christopher advises clients on state and federal data privacy law compliance and specializes in helping craft a company’s internal and external crisis communication strategy. Christopher approaches his practice grounded in a commitment to provide thorough, client-focused solutions and to never stop learning and adapting to the ever-evolving legal landscape. His goal is to cultivate strong, collaborative relationships with clients by prioritizing their needs, providing clear communication, and delivering solutions that align with each client’s business objectives.