Joel Bruckman is a Partner in the Litigation Practice of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP. Mr. Bruckman was a Partner at Freeborn & Peters, which combined with SGR in 2023.
Mr. Bruckman’s practice focuses on all aspects of data privacy and cybersecurity, with emphasis on regulatory and statutory compliance, insider threats and external bad actors. He counsels businesses in various industries including healthcare providers (including HIPPA Covered Entities and Business Associates), private-sector commercial entities of all sizes, and non-profit/charitable organizations on best practices and legal requirements regarding the collection, inventory, access, use, transmission, disclosure and destruction of sensitive personal and non-personal information, including PII, PHI confidential information and trade secrets. He is a trusted advisor to privacy employees, officers, and boards of directors on compliance issues under various federal, state and international privacy laws, including but not limited to HIPAA, HITECH, GLBA, CCPA, CPRA, FERPA, BIPA and GDPR.
As a former member of the FBI’s Cyber Crimes Task Force during his time as a prosecutor for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, he regularly advises clients on data security incident response strategies from initial discovery, triage and computer forensics investigations through statutory /regulatory notification assessment/obligations and subsequent government investigation and private-party litigation.
His extensive experience as a former prosecutor of cybercrime and white collar criminal investigations, makes him a go to for investigations related to internal threats including those relating to the misappropriation of confidential information and trade secrets. Mr. Bruckman is a regular speaker on cybersecurity issues and data privacy best practices. He has presented several continuing legal education seminars for attorneys, spoken to professional and trade associations as well as lead trainings for some of the nation’s largest retailers and law enforcement agencies at all levels of government.
Prior to joining Freeborn (now SGR), Mr. Bruckman was a member of the Cyber Security & Data Privacy Practice Group at Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP. He also served as Assistant State’s Attorney in the Special Prosecutions Bureau – Financial Crimes & Public Corruption Unit of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. There he served as Squad Leader of the Cook County Cyber Crimes Training Workgroup and was a member of the Cook County State’s Attorney & FBI – Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Mr. Bruckman received his B.S. from Indiana University and his J.D. from The John Marshall School of Law. He was honored on the Dean’s List at both schools.
Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Co-Chait Audit, Compliance and Risk Management Committee
The Chicago Lighthouse
Executive Board Member, Cook County Regional Organized Crime Task Force
First Vice President, Decalogue Society of Lawyers
Third Vice President, North Suburban Bar Association
Presenter, “Cybersecurity: Preparedness & Response — Looking at today’s attack vectors, ransom demands & more!,” Decalogue Society of Lawyers, (October, 2023).
Author, “Client Alert: SEC’s New Cybersecurity Rule – Including Key Disclosure Requirements,” (August, 2023)
Presenter, “Cybersecurity for Small to Mid-size Practitioners,” North Suburbran Bar Association, (October, 2022).
Co-Author, “Runaway BIPA Recoveries Impact Company Liability and Cyber Insurance,” D&O Diary and the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance, (November, 2022).
Panelist, Crain’s Chicago Business: “Roundtable on Cybersecurity,” (August, 2022)
Author, “Client Alert: Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act: For Many, a 72 Hour Notification Deadline is Coming,” Freeborn & Peters LLP (March 23, 2022).
Author, “New Cyber-Attack Vector Log4Shell One of the Most Concerning Exploits Needs to Be On Your Radar,” Freeborn & Peters LLP (December 15, 2021).
Author, “Client Alert: Facilitating Ransomware Ransom Payments OFAC Issues Guidance to Avoid Enforcement Actions and Penalties,” Freeborn & Peters LLP (October 28, 2021).
Co-Author, “Client Alert: Digital Accessibility and Website ADA Compliance,” Freeborn & Peters LLP (July 21, 2021).
