McDonald Hopkins welcomes three new attorneys to its Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group

McDonald Hopkins is proud to welcome three new attorneys to its national data privacy and cybersecurity practice group: Jennifer Egan, Sarah Saadeh, and Sydney Wisniewski.

The addition of these three attorneys underscores the firm’s continued investment in its nationally recognized Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group and its commitment to attracting talented attorneys with diverse backgrounds and experience in privacy law.

Jennifer joins the group as counsel. Her practice focuses on pre-breach, HIPAA compliance, incident response, and regulatory investigations. She enjoys helping organizations prepare for potential incidents before they occur, guiding them through data security incidents when they do arise, and assisting clients in responding to regulatory inquiries and investigations.

“I chose McDonald Hopkins because I wanted to join a firm that has made data privacy and cybersecurity a strategic priority. The firm’s depth of experience and collaborative approach create an environment where I can continue to grow my practice while helping clients navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape,” she said. “Given my background in government investigations and incident response, it felt like the right place to build on that experience and work alongside attorneys who are equally focused on solving clients’ most challenging privacy issues.”

Her experience includes resolving a multi-year breach investigation involving more than 100,000 affected individuals and multiple facilities, leading post-resolution monitoring for a major healthcare system following highly publicized data breaches and managing investigations involving systemic privacy and security deficiencies.

Sarah is an associate attorney whose practice focuses on incident response, pre-breach services, regulatory defense and compliance. Prior to her time at McDonald Hopkins, Sarah advised clients regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including registered investment advisers, family offices, private funds and other financial professionals. She counseled clients on day-to-day regulatory compliance and SEC examinations, as well as privacy and cybersecurity obligations under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and Regulation S-P.

“When a client comes to a lawyer after a data breach, they are often facing one of the most stressful situations their organization has experienced. My goal is to help them take a breath, understand what happened and what needs to happen next, and guide them through the process with confidence and clarity, the same support I would want if I were in their position,” she said.

Sydney is also an associate attorney whose practice focuses on incident response and other general data privacy matters. She said McDonald Hopkins’ reputation in the field and its firm culture made it the destination firm for her.

“Before coming to McDonald Hopkins, I met with various individuals who had nothing but amazing things to say about the firm culture and work environment. Additionally, external sources who have previously worked with the firm were raving about the firm’s work product and deliverables. I knew I wanted to be a part of the team,” Sydney said.

Prior to joining McDonald Hopkins, Sydney worked for a solo practitioner, where she focused on technology law matters, including data privacy compliance counseling and trademark filings. She also gained experience at a national law firm, where she represented clients in civil defense, toxic tort and class action litigation. She has defended insurance carriers in personal injury protection and catastrophic claims.

Sydney is committed to helping clients navigate challenging situations, particularly during times of crisis. She works closely with clients to help them understand and address potential risks, protect sensitive information, and provide clarity throughout the incident response process.

“Jennifer, Sarah and Sydney each bring valuable experience and unique perspectives to the team,” said Dominic Paluzzi, co-chair of the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group. “Their backgrounds in incident response, regulatory compliance, investigations and technology law will further strengthen our ability to help clients navigate an increasingly complex privacy and cybersecurity landscape. We are thrilled to welcome them to McDonald Hopkins and look forward to the contributions they will make to our team and our clients.”