Protecting Your Data and Systems: Ethical obligations and practical steps for law firm owners

Allison C. Williams | Law Firm Mentor, LLC

Allison C. Williams, Esq., is Founder and Owner of the Williams Law Group, LLC, with offices in Short Hills and Parsippany, New Jersey. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, has been Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Law Attorney, and is the first attorney in New Jersey to become Board-Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in the field of Family Law.

Ms. Williams practices exclusively in matrimonial and family law, with an emphasis on complex Child Welfare matters, including representation of parents in Child Abuse and Neglect matters, parents in Termination of Parental Rights matters, representation of foster parents, and consultation to matrimonial counsel regarding child abuse investigations and related issues. She has a statewide practice, currently managing matters in 16 counties across the State and in the Office of Administrative Law (OAL).

Ms. Williams is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association and has served on the Family Law Executive Committee (FLEC) of that association, on which committee she led the Child Abuse Law Subcommittee. She has served as an Editor on the Board of the New Jersey Family Lawyer, a publication of NJSBA distributed to family law judges and attorneys. Ms. Williams lectures frequently for several professional organizations, including the New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), and her articles have appeared in the New Jersey Lawyer, the New Jersey Family Lawyer, and other publications state-wide.

Ms. Williams received her B.S., magna cum laude, and her M.S., summa cum laude, from Florida State University. She received her J.D., cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law. She has been named a Rising Star Attorney by the New Jersey Super Lawyers franchise continuously from 2008 – 2013 and has been named a Super Lawyer by that organization for 2014 – 2024. In 2016, she was featured in the Super Lawyers publication (Williams v. The Rubber Stamp), she was named one of the Top 50 Women Super Lawyers in New Jersey in 2016 – 2024, and one of the Top 100 Super Lawyers in New Jersey in 2016-2023.

In 2017, the Williams Law Group won the LawFirm500 award, ranking 14th of the fastest growing law firms in the nation, as Ms. Williams grew the firm 581% in three years. For her effort and for her dedication to volunteerism and community service, Ms. Williams has been named a Stevie Award Finalist for Female Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017. In 2018, Ms. Williams was voted as NJBIZ’s Top 50 Women in Business and has been designated a Finalist for Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs and Business Owners.

After taking Williams Law Group from start-up to a multi-million-dollar business in 3.5 years, she created a second multi-million-dollar business, Law Firm Mentor, LLC. At Law Firm Mentor, she and her team provide business coaching services for Solo and Small Law Firm attorneys helping them grow their revenues, crush chaos in business and make more money. Ms. Williams is an international speaker and is the host of the Crushing Chaos with Law Firm Mentor Podcast. The motto of Law Firm Mentor is #Never Stop Growing.

I. Understand Ethical Obligations: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the ethical responsibilities related to data protection and client confidentiality | 12:00pm – 12:30pm

II. Identify Cybersecurity Threats: Learn about the most common cyber threats targeting law firms and the potential risks they pose | 12:30pm – 1:00pm

Break | 1:00pm -1:10pm

III. Implement Best Practices: Discover actionable steps and best practices to enhance the security of your firm’s data and systems | 1:10pm – 1:30pm

IV. Compliance and Regulation: Navigate the complex landscape of legal and regulatory requirements for data protection | 1:30pm – 1:50pm

V. Develop a Cybersecurity Plan: Create a tailored cybersecurity plan that aligns with your firm’s specific needs and risk profile | 1:50pm – 2:10pm