Holland & Knight Expands Cybersecurity, Data Breach and Privacy Practice with Addition of Mark Melodia and Paul Bond
NEW YORK/PHILADELPHIA (September 4, 2018) – Well-respected cybersecurity, data breach and privacy lawyers Mark Melodia and Paul Bond have joined Holland & Knight as partners in its New York and Philadelphia offices, respectively. Mr. Melodia was co-chair of Reed Smith LLP's IP, Tech & Data Group, co-chair of its Financial Industry Group and office managing partner in Princeton. Mr. Bond was co-chair of the firm's Information Technology, Privacy & Data Security Group, which Mr. Melodia founded.
Mr. Melodia has extensive experience litigating putative class actions and other "bet-the-company" lawsuits in the areas of data security and privacy and financial products and practices, as well as other complex litigation including defamation. He has defended more than 80 putative class actions arising from data breaches and other alleged consumer privacy violations, including as lead defense counsel in multiple MDLs. He routinely represents clients responding to government privacy investigations before the Federal Trade Commission, the Office for Civil Rights, state attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice. This high-stakes work has often been accompanied by board and C-suite counsel.
Mr. Bond focuses his practice in the areas of data security, privacy and artificial intelligence. He helps companies make the best use of new technologies, including opportunities for automation, while identifying and managing relevant risks. In addition to advising clients on their data and technology strategies, he helps them defend technology- and data-related class actions and major cybersecurity and hacking litigation, as well as respond to government investigations in those areas. He has been involved in the successful defense of several dozen putative class actions concerning consumer privacy.
"Mark and Paul are among the most sought after data security and privacy lawyers in the country and tremendous additions to our team," said Christopher G. Kelly, head of Holland & Knight's Litigation Section. "They have a well-earned reputation for consistently delivering litigation victories or favorable settlements for their roster of blue-chip clients."
"Paul and I are delighted to be joining one of the leaders in cyber law," said Mr. Melodia. "Holland & Knight is the go-to firm for companies facing the most sophisticated cybersecurity issues, cyberattacks and data breaches."
"We were particularly attracted to Holland & Knight because of its strength in internal investigations and government policy and regulation," said Mr. Bond. "Increasingly, cybersecurity issues also are Wall Street issues and Capitol Hill issues, and Holland & Knight offers the perfect platform to serve clients on all fronts."
Mr. Melodia was selected as one of four Privacy MVPs in Law360's inaugural class and was named a Cybersecurity Trailblazer by the National Law Journal. He is an elected member of The American Law Institute, and has been an instructor of information security law at Carnegie Mellon University and a guest lecturer at New York University School of Law and Seton Hall Law School. Mr. Bond is an adjunct professor at Rutgers Law School and a member of the Rutgers Cybersecurity Advisory Board. He also has taught information security law at Carnegie Mellon University. In addition, he serves on the Identity Theft Resource Center board of directors, where he is chair of the Governance Committee.