Jennifer A. Beckage, founder of technology and cybersecurity law firm Beckage.

In the not-too-distant past, law firms sought to stand out by focusing on the emerging area of data protection and privacy. Today, such practices are staples in many relatively large law firms and a prime focus for an increasing number of boutique firms. So how does one differentiate?

A newly launched New York law firm believes it has the answer: Offer a different type of cybersecurity and privacy service altogether.

Beckage PLLC, which officially opened the doors of its Buffalo and New York City offices in August 2018, hopes to pave the way for a more hands-on, technical type of cybersecurity and technology practice.

Jennifer Beckage, who was formerly a partner at Phillips Lytle, launched her eponymous law firm in response to the perceived lack of firms that can provide technical as well as legal expertise. She said she wants the new firm to “bridge that gap between IT and the lawyers.”

Beckage explained, “For our clients who have to comply with a certain regulation, we have that technical background, know-how and practical experience to say, 'When you log into that system change this setting, or did you even know your system is collecting this information?' That's something most lawyers don't fully appreciate.”

Beckage noted her firm will focus on three main areas. The first will be helping clients implement preventive cybersecurity and privacy controls to help them protect their data and comply with certain regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The second area will be assisting clients with the incident response demands immediately after they suffer a cyberattack or breach. Lastly, the firm will also to help clients in meeting their long-term responsibilities following an incident, such as handling regulatory investigations.

In addition to Jennifer Beckage, the firm launched with four other attorneys: Julie Bastian, a former in-house counsel for business services company Aleron Shared Resources; Myriah Jaworski, a former trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice and former senior attorney at Phillips Lytle; Andrea Kuettel, a former associate counsel at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute; and Kara L. Hilburger, a practicing attorney with experience in technology and privacy as it pertains to employment and labor matters.

Beckage noted that the firm aims to hire additional attorneys who have a passion for technology and want to “take a different approach to the practice of law, in an innovative way, and are not afraid to roll up their sleeves with their clients.”

To be sure, while Beckage's focus on mixing technical and legal expertise is unique, it is not entirely new. Chicago-based privacy plaintiff law firm Edelson, for example, has an in-house forensics lab staffed with engineers who take apart new consumer technology products to better understand what data the products collect and whether they violate data privacy laws. InfolawGroup, another law firm headquartered in Chicago, offers its clients an on-demand chief privacy officer service, where the firm's attorneys will provide hands-on help with cybersecurity due diligence, such as designing a consumer product or website to adhere to privacy regulations or standards.