Post & Schell, P.C.

Data Privacy & Cybersecurity

Practice Group Chair

Abraham J. Rein
215-587-1057
arein@postschell.com

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Overview

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Data loss, hacking, and theft have become headline news as every sector of the economy has gone digital, and proprietary, personal, financial, and medical data has become increasingly vulnerable. These events often require mandatory disclosures and immediate responses and can create significant financial and reputational exposure.

Compliance planning before the need arises is a must. After an incident, a swift response is critical, and a strong litigation team is a necessary bulwark against possible lawsuits. Post & Schell, P.C.’s Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Group brings essential regulatory and litigation experience and knowledge to advising and defending clients in this critical area.

Our Group is Co-Chaired by:

  • Steve J. Fox: A national authority on information technology, e-commerce, privacy/security issues (including HIPAA), and health care information.
  • Abraham J. Rein: Mr. Rein has a unique understanding of the intersection of technology and the law, combined with considerable experience in related government compliance and self-disclosures, and the sometimes criminal issues that arise from data breaches. 

The Group’s attorneys include counsel well-versed in privacy/security, intellectual property, and employment law issues, former federal prosecutors who have both prosecuted and defended identity theft and hacking cases, and seasoned advocates with a record of success at all trial and appellate levels, including in the United States Supreme Court. The Group’s attorneys also have extensive experience with federal and state enforcement agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Health & Human Services, Defense, Transportation and Labor, SEC, FINRA, FBI, IRS, Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Department of Aging, and numerous other state agencies.

The depth and range of the Group’s experience in civil, administrative, and criminal matters enable us to provide corporate clients and executives with seasoned before-the-fact risk assessment and insights into compliance plan preparation. Drawing on that diverse background, we also deliver sure-handed defense representation – as to private plaintiffs and government enforcement alike – and provide the judgment essential to pursuing an informed defense strategy.

What We Do:

We counsel and defend corporate enterprises and officers, directors, and managers nationwide. Specifically we:

  • Work with clients to minimize possible data security breaches before they happen, coordinating compliance with HIPAA, the Red Flag rules, the Gramm Leach Bliley Act, state laws, and other regulatory minefields.
  • Assist clients in responding as necessary to data security breaches of third parties with which our clients do business.
  • If a breach or threatened breach occurs, mitigate the effects of the breach and coordinate an effective response. This includes guiding clients in complying with and responding to the demands of the regulatory and enforcement community.
  • Conduct internal investigations to assess compliance issues and determine whether questionable conduct has occurred.
  • Via our Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Complex Litigation Practice Group, we counsel and defend clients facing complex lawsuits, including class actions, related to data and cyber breaches, insufficient disclosures, and access of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) by third parties.

How We Add Value:

The Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Group embraces Post & Schell’s commitment to efficiency and cost-effectiveness. We have the experience to get to the heart of a matter, without reflexively “staffing up” or overstaffing projects.

Read full overview > Read less >

Related Practices

  • Casualty Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Health Care
  • Health Care Litigation Services
  • Health Care Regulatory Services
  • Health Care Transaction Services
  • Hospitality and Retail
  • Internal Investigations & White Collar Defense

Areas of Concentration

  • Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Complex Litigation

Attorneys

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Abraham J. Rein

Abraham J. Rein

Principal & Chair, White Collar Practice Group
Chair, Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice

Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1057
Fax: 215-587-1444

arein@postschell.com

John W. Bruni

John W. Bruni

Principal
Casualty Litigation and Toxic Tort Liability Litigation

Pittsburgh
Phone: 412-506-6388
Fax: 412-227-9065

jbruni@postschell.com

Beth Anne Jackson, Esq.

Beth Anne Jackson

Principal
Health Care

Pittsburgh
Phone: 412-506-6356
Fax: 412-227-9065

bjackson@postschell.com

Ronald H. Levine

Ronald H. Levine

Senior Counsel
Internal Investigations & White Collar Defense

Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1071
Fax: 215-587-1444

rlevine@postschell.com

Mark L. Mattioli

Mark L. Mattioli

Principal
Health Care

Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1113
Fax: 215-587-1444

mmattioli@postschell.com

Caitlin Donahue, Esq.

Caitlin A. Donahue

Associate
Employment & Labor

Lancaster
Phone: 717-391-4431
Fax: 717-291-1609

cdonahue@postschell.com

Theresa A. Mongiovi

Theresa A. Mongiovi

Principal
Chair, Employment and Labor Practice Group

Lancaster
Phone: 717-391-4410
Mobile: 717-468-2066
Fax: 717-291-1609

tmongiovi@postschell.com

Laily Sheybani

Laily Sheybani

Associate
Internal Investigations & White Collar Defense

Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1070
Fax: 215-587-1444

lsheybani@postschell.com

News & Insights

News

Toggle Button Open

Abraham Rein Named Chair of the Federal Criminal Law Committee for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Fifty-one Attorneys Recognized as 2025 Best Lawyers in America by The Best Lawyers in America©. 

Abraham J. Rein Appointed Vice-Chair of Post & Schell's Internal Investigations & White Collar Defense Practice Group

Post & Schell Practice Groups Ranked in National and Regional Tiers in Best Lawyers' 2023 "Best Law Firms" List

Post & Schell Practice Groups Ranked in National and Regional Tiers in Best Lawyers' 2022 "Best Law Firms" List

Forty-Six Post & Schell Attorneys Named to the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©

Forty-One Post & Schell Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars for 2021

Post & Schell Practice Groups Ranked in National and Regional Tiers in Best Lawyers' 2021 "Best Law Firms List"

Thirty Post & Schell Attorneys Named Super Lawyers for 2020

Thirty-Seven Post & Schell Attorneys Named to the 2020 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©

Thirty-One Post & Schell Attorneys Selected to the 2018 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers List

Abe Rein Serves as Subject Matter Expert Practitioner for Bloomberg Law's Privacy & Data Security's "Pennsylvania Domestic Privacy Profile"

Post & Schell Elects Five New Principals from the Firm's Professional Liability, Labor and Employment, Commercial Litigation, White Collar, and Insurance Law Practices

Post & Schell Elects Seven New Principals in Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh Offices

Third Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Dismissal of Federal Complaint Against Post & Schell Client Alleging Data Breach

Media & Articles

Toggle Button Open

Mark Mattioli Examines PA's New Health Data Compliance Requirements for Lawyers for Law360

Robin Nagele Examines Maintaining Quality and Preserving Privilege for Telemedicine Providers for AHLA's Connections

Abe Rein Discusses Fingerprint/Technology Case with Ars Technica

Steve Fox and Cindy Haines Provide Insight on CMS Meaningful Use Audits for the AHLA's Journal of Health & Life Sciences Law

Charles Spitz and Abe Rein Examine the FCC's Continued Enforcement Against Wi-Fi Blocking for Law360

Abe Rein Discusses Third Circuit's FTC/Wyndham Data Breach Decision with TechBeacon

Marc Perry and Abe Rein Author Article Examining Importance of Cybersecurity Vigilance in the Hospitality Industry for Law360

IT Chair Steve Fox Discusses Hospitals and Cloud Computing in an Interview with H&HN

Health Care and Data Protection/Breach Principal Steve Fox Interviewed by LXBN TV Regarding a Recent Protected Health Information (PHI) Leak

Speaking Engagements

Toggle Button Open

Paula Sanders and Cindy Haines Present on Identifying and Mitigating Cybersecurity Threats at PACAH Spring Conference on April 19 

Robin Nagele Presents on COVID-19 and Telehealth for Healthcare Providers on PBI CLE Seminar on April 20

Abe Rein Co-Presents on Cybersecurity Issues in Commercial Transportation on PMTA Webinar on Feb. 28

Abe Rein Moderates Panel on Digital Search and Seizures and the Fourth Amendment at PACDL White Collar Conference on Nov. 16

Steve Fox and Cindy Haines Present on HIPAA and Data Breaches at the Maryland Health Care Commission Senior Staff Summit On Sept. 13

Abe Rein Moderates Panel on Data Security at Penn Intellectual Property Group's 2018 Symposium

Abe Rein Serves on an FCLC Panel Examining the Stored Communications Act and Cell Site Technology on Dec. 7

Abe Rein Serves on Panel Regarding Cybersecurity in the Gas Industry at PBI's Public Utility Law Conference

Abe Rein Serves on Regulatory Enforcement Panel at Cybersecurity Forum in Boston on April 26

Abe Rein Serves on Two Panel Discussions at Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Forum on April 6 -7 in San Francisco

Abe Rein Speaks on Outsourcing Big Data to the Cloud at Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Forum in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 16

Abe Rein Speaks on E-Discovery Panel at The Legal Intelligencer's Litigation Summit 2016 on Sept. 21

Steve Fox Presents on Patient Data and Related Legal Trends on April 12 Webinar

IT Chair Steve Fox Presents on HIE Security at Regional HIMSS Conference on Nov. 13

Information Tech. Practice Chair Steve Fox Presents on the Hidden Risks of Cloud Computing at AHA's Leadership Summit on July 22

Blogs and Thought Leadership

Toggle Button Open

CMS Interoperability Final Rule: Impact on Health Care Providers

ONC Interoperability Final Rule: Impact on Health Care Providers

Are Your Business Associate Agreements Up-To-Date?

Third Circuit: Imprisonment for Refusing an Order to Decrypt a Device Cannot Exceed 18 Months - Even When Alleged Related Criminal Conduct is Involved

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Puts Employers on Notice: You Can Be Liable When Hackers Breach Your Systems

Pennsylvania Data Breach Litigation: An Important New Resource...and a Case to Watch

Navigating the Cloud's Data Security and Legal Hazards

New York Proposed Cybersecurity Regulations: A Predictor of Things to Come for the Finance and Insurance Industries

FCC Commissioner Seeks Investigation of Wi-Fi Hotspot Limitations at Presidential Debate

The Lambis Case and the Future of 'Stingray' Evidence

Record $5.5 Million HIPAA Data Security Settlement: Lessons Learned

Plan Ahead, Stay On Top of Government and Tech Changes, and Be Ready to Call the FBI: Key Lessons from the PHI Protection Network Conference

Two Points and a Lesson from PrivacyCon, FTC's Digital-Privacy Conference

FCC Takes on Hospitality Wi-Fi Management Again: More Sanctions, Unresolved Concerns

HHS's Data Security Problem: Lessons for the Private Sector

Managing Wi-Fi Networks on Business Premises: Aggressive Enforcement and Unanswered Questions

Overview Attorneys

Data loss, hacking, and theft have become headline news as every sector of the economy has gone digital, and proprietary, personal, financial, and medical data has become increasingly vulnerable. These events often require mandatory disclosures and immediate responses and can create significant financial and reputational exposure.

Compliance planning before the need arises is a must. After an incident, a swift response is critical, and a strong litigation team is a necessary bulwark against possible lawsuits. Post & Schell, P.C.’s Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Group brings essential regulatory and litigation experience and knowledge to advising and defending clients in this critical area.

Our Group is Co-Chaired by:

  • Steve J. Fox: A national authority on information technology, e-commerce, privacy/security issues (including HIPAA), and health care information.
  • Abraham J. Rein: Mr. Rein has a unique understanding of the intersection of technology and the law, combined with considerable experience in related government compliance and self-disclosures, and the sometimes criminal issues that arise from data breaches. 

The Group’s attorneys include counsel well-versed in privacy/security, intellectual property, and employment law issues, former federal prosecutors who have both prosecuted and defended identity theft and hacking cases, and seasoned advocates with a record of success at all trial and appellate levels, including in the United States Supreme Court. The Group’s attorneys also have extensive experience with federal and state enforcement agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Health & Human Services, Defense, Transportation and Labor, SEC, FINRA, FBI, IRS, Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Department of Aging, and numerous other state agencies.

The depth and range of the Group’s experience in civil, administrative, and criminal matters enable us to provide corporate clients and executives with seasoned before-the-fact risk assessment and insights into compliance plan preparation. Drawing on that diverse background, we also deliver sure-handed defense representation – as to private plaintiffs and government enforcement alike – and provide the judgment essential to pursuing an informed defense strategy.

What We Do:

We counsel and defend corporate enterprises and officers, directors, and managers nationwide. Specifically we:

  • Work with clients to minimize possible data security breaches before they happen, coordinating compliance with HIPAA, the Red Flag rules, the Gramm Leach Bliley Act, state laws, and other regulatory minefields.
  • Assist clients in responding as necessary to data security breaches of third parties with which our clients do business.
  • If a breach or threatened breach occurs, mitigate the effects of the breach and coordinate an effective response. This includes guiding clients in complying with and responding to the demands of the regulatory and enforcement community.
  • Conduct internal investigations to assess compliance issues and determine whether questionable conduct has occurred.
  • Via our Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Complex Litigation Practice Group, we counsel and defend clients facing complex lawsuits, including class actions, related to data and cyber breaches, insufficient disclosures, and access of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) by third parties.

How We Add Value:

The Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Group embraces Post & Schell’s commitment to efficiency and cost-effectiveness. We have the experience to get to the heart of a matter, without reflexively “staffing up” or overstaffing projects.

Read full overview > Read less >

Abraham J. Rein

Abraham J. Rein

Principal & Chair, White Collar Practice Group
Chair, Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice

Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1057
Fax: 215-587-1444

arein@postschell.com

John W. Bruni

John W. Bruni

Principal
Casualty Litigation and Toxic Tort Liability Litigation

Pittsburgh
Phone: 412-506-6388
Fax: 412-227-9065

jbruni@postschell.com

Beth Anne Jackson, Esq.

Beth Anne Jackson

Principal
Health Care

Pittsburgh
Phone: 412-506-6356
Fax: 412-227-9065

bjackson@postschell.com

Ronald H. Levine

Ronald H. Levine

Senior Counsel
Internal Investigations & White Collar Defense

Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1071
Fax: 215-587-1444

rlevine@postschell.com

Mark L. Mattioli

Mark L. Mattioli

Principal
Health Care

Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1113
Fax: 215-587-1444

mmattioli@postschell.com

Caitlin Donahue, Esq.

Caitlin A. Donahue

Associate
Employment & Labor

Lancaster
Phone: 717-391-4431
Fax: 717-291-1609

cdonahue@postschell.com

Theresa A. Mongiovi

Theresa A. Mongiovi

Principal
Chair, Employment and Labor Practice Group

Lancaster
Phone: 717-391-4410
Mobile: 717-468-2066
Fax: 717-291-1609

tmongiovi@postschell.com

Laily Sheybani

Laily Sheybani

Associate
Internal Investigations & White Collar Defense

Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1070
Fax: 215-587-1444

lsheybani@postschell.com

Related Practices

  • Casualty Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Health Care
  • Health Care Litigation Services
  • Health Care Regulatory Services
  • Health Care Transaction Services
  • Hospitality and Retail
  • Internal Investigations & White Collar Defense

Areas of Concentration

  • Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Complex Litigation

Insights

News Media & Articles Speaking Engagements Blogs and Thought Leadership

Abraham Rein Named Chair of the Federal Criminal Law Committee for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Fifty-one Attorneys Recognized as 2025 Best Lawyers in America by The Best Lawyers in America©. 

Abraham J. Rein Appointed Vice-Chair of Post & Schell's Internal Investigations & White Collar Defense Practice Group

Post & Schell Practice Groups Ranked in National and Regional Tiers in Best Lawyers' 2023 "Best Law Firms" List

Post & Schell Practice Groups Ranked in National and Regional Tiers in Best Lawyers' 2022 "Best Law Firms" List

Forty-Six Post & Schell Attorneys Named to the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©

Forty-One Post & Schell Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars for 2021

Post & Schell Practice Groups Ranked in National and Regional Tiers in Best Lawyers' 2021 "Best Law Firms List"

Thirty Post & Schell Attorneys Named Super Lawyers for 2020

Thirty-Seven Post & Schell Attorneys Named to the 2020 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©

Thirty-One Post & Schell Attorneys Selected to the 2018 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers List

Abe Rein Serves as Subject Matter Expert Practitioner for Bloomberg Law's Privacy & Data Security's "Pennsylvania Domestic Privacy Profile"

Post & Schell Elects Five New Principals from the Firm's Professional Liability, Labor and Employment, Commercial Litigation, White Collar, and Insurance Law Practices

Post & Schell Elects Seven New Principals in Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh Offices

Third Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Dismissal of Federal Complaint Against Post & Schell Client Alleging Data Breach

Mark Mattioli Examines PA's New Health Data Compliance Requirements for Lawyers for Law360

Robin Nagele Examines Maintaining Quality and Preserving Privilege for Telemedicine Providers for AHLA's Connections

Abe Rein Discusses Fingerprint/Technology Case with Ars Technica

Steve Fox and Cindy Haines Provide Insight on CMS Meaningful Use Audits for the AHLA's Journal of Health & Life Sciences Law

Charles Spitz and Abe Rein Examine the FCC's Continued Enforcement Against Wi-Fi Blocking for Law360

Abe Rein Discusses Third Circuit's FTC/Wyndham Data Breach Decision with TechBeacon

Marc Perry and Abe Rein Author Article Examining Importance of Cybersecurity Vigilance in the Hospitality Industry for Law360

IT Chair Steve Fox Discusses Hospitals and Cloud Computing in an Interview with H&HN

Health Care and Data Protection/Breach Principal Steve Fox Interviewed by LXBN TV Regarding a Recent Protected Health Information (PHI) Leak

Paula Sanders and Cindy Haines Present on Identifying and Mitigating Cybersecurity Threats at PACAH Spring Conference on April 19 

Robin Nagele Presents on COVID-19 and Telehealth for Healthcare Providers on PBI CLE Seminar on April 20

Abe Rein Co-Presents on Cybersecurity Issues in Commercial Transportation on PMTA Webinar on Feb. 28

Abe Rein Moderates Panel on Digital Search and Seizures and the Fourth Amendment at PACDL White Collar Conference on Nov. 16

Steve Fox and Cindy Haines Present on HIPAA and Data Breaches at the Maryland Health Care Commission Senior Staff Summit On Sept. 13

Abe Rein Moderates Panel on Data Security at Penn Intellectual Property Group's 2018 Symposium

Abe Rein Serves on an FCLC Panel Examining the Stored Communications Act and Cell Site Technology on Dec. 7

Abe Rein Serves on Panel Regarding Cybersecurity in the Gas Industry at PBI's Public Utility Law Conference

Abe Rein Serves on Regulatory Enforcement Panel at Cybersecurity Forum in Boston on April 26

Abe Rein Serves on Two Panel Discussions at Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Forum on April 6 -7 in San Francisco

Abe Rein Speaks on Outsourcing Big Data to the Cloud at Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Forum in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 16

Abe Rein Speaks on E-Discovery Panel at The Legal Intelligencer's Litigation Summit 2016 on Sept. 21

Steve Fox Presents on Patient Data and Related Legal Trends on April 12 Webinar

IT Chair Steve Fox Presents on HIE Security at Regional HIMSS Conference on Nov. 13

Information Tech. Practice Chair Steve Fox Presents on the Hidden Risks of Cloud Computing at AHA's Leadership Summit on July 22

CMS Interoperability Final Rule: Impact on Health Care Providers

ONC Interoperability Final Rule: Impact on Health Care Providers

Are Your Business Associate Agreements Up-To-Date?

Third Circuit: Imprisonment for Refusing an Order to Decrypt a Device Cannot Exceed 18 Months - Even When Alleged Related Criminal Conduct is Involved

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Puts Employers on Notice: You Can Be Liable When Hackers Breach Your Systems

Pennsylvania Data Breach Litigation: An Important New Resource...and a Case to Watch

Navigating the Cloud's Data Security and Legal Hazards

New York Proposed Cybersecurity Regulations: A Predictor of Things to Come for the Finance and Insurance Industries

FCC Commissioner Seeks Investigation of Wi-Fi Hotspot Limitations at Presidential Debate

The Lambis Case and the Future of 'Stingray' Evidence

Record $5.5 Million HIPAA Data Security Settlement: Lessons Learned

Plan Ahead, Stay On Top of Government and Tech Changes, and Be Ready to Call the FBI: Key Lessons from the PHI Protection Network Conference

Two Points and a Lesson from PrivacyCon, FTC's Digital-Privacy Conference

FCC Takes on Hospitality Wi-Fi Management Again: More Sanctions, Unresolved Concerns

HHS's Data Security Problem: Lessons for the Private Sector

Managing Wi-Fi Networks on Business Premises: Aggressive Enforcement and Unanswered Questions

 

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