Overview
Jennifer is Counsel at McDonald Hopkins and part of the firm’s national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity team. Her practice runs the gamut of data privacy and cybersecurity matters, including compliance, incident response, and litigation. She is accredited by the International Association of Privacy Professionals as a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) for the United States, the gold standard certification for information privacy professionals. In approaching data privacy and cybersecurity matters, Jennifer draws upon her significant litigation experience and advises clients with an eye toward the future, aiming to minimize exposure.
In her litigation practice, Jennifer defends clients in both single-plaintiff and complex class action cases with a specific focus on privacy litigation. She has litigated data breach cases, as well as cases filed pursuant to various state and federal privacy laws. In addition, Jennifer has first-chair trial experience in both state and federal court, as well as experience in alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration.
Jennifer also has significant experience guiding clients in various industries through data security incidents and advising on compliance with state, federal, and international laws. She works with law enforcement, forensic investigators, and notification vendors to promptly address incidents as they arise and facilitates communication with state and federal regulatory agencies. She routinely advises clients on compliance with the ever-evolving privacy protection laws, drafting policies and consistently reviewing existing policies for compliance.
In addition to her professional experience, Jennifer is passionate about using her legal knowledge to help those in need. She dedicates a large portion of her time outside of client work to pro bono representation of organizations near and dear to her heart, including inmate rights litigation, Violence Against Women Act applications, and asylum petitions.
Jennifer received her J.D. from the University of Illinois, where she graduated magna cum laude. She also earned both an M.A. and B.A. from the University of Illinois.
Representative Cases & Matters
- Managed and advised on day-to-day privacy and security matters for large managed care services provider for workers’ compensation and health care benefits, including daily coordination with in-house legal staff to address incidents both large and small.
- Successfully managed numerous HIPAA ransomware incidents involving over one million consumer notifications, including communications with and written submissions to OCR in coordination with healthcare attorneys.
- With the aid of a forensic and remediation vendor, successfully prevented access to or acquisition of Personal Information in the course of a website hijacking of an educational institution.
- Counseled small non-profit organization in response to a business email compromise incident involving potential exposure of employee tax information. Helped manage client’s internal communications by drafting holding statements for distribution; drafted notification letters; worked with notification vendor to issue notices; managed escalations from call center.
- Obtained dismissal or summary judgment in several class action cases asserting data breach claims and/or claims under consumer statutes including FACTA, BIPA and the TCPA.
- Obtained favorable settlement outcomes for online healthcare retailer clients sued under the California Information Privacy Act and state and federal wiretapping laws.
- As a second-chair trial attorney, helped obtain a successful jury verdict for a doctor in a medical malpractice case.
- First chair trial experience in state and federal court, including opening arguments, direct and cross examinations and closing arguments in business divorce and TCPA case, respectively.
Honors & Recognition
Selected for inclusion in Illinois Rising Stars (2021-present), Civil Litigation Defense
Credentials
Education
University of Illinois College of Law
University of Illinois
Admissions – Court
- Illinois Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Admissions – State
- Illinois