Cybersecurity, IP, and AI: The In-House Counsel’s Guide to Emerging Tech 2026

Mr. Siegel is Corporate Counsel, Planning & Development for Appliance Dealers Cooperative, a 12-state regional major home appliance buying group with substantial warehouse facilities in central NJ, Lewisberry PA (near Harrisburg) and Imperial PA (near Pittsburgh). He is also Counsel for the NY/NJ law firm of Shafer Partners, LLP, as well as associated with Your House Counsel®, a national consortium of insurance and corporate liability defense law firms. Mr. Siegel is the former Chair of the Aeronautical and Space Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and is a former Chair of the Aerospace Law Division of the American Bar Association’s Science and Technology Law Section, and is the Co-Chair of the Your House Counsel Cyber Security and Data Privacy Practice Group. He is also a member of the PBA Business Law Section, the PBA Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee, the PBA In-House Counsel Committee, the American Bar Association, as well as the New York and New Jersey State Bar Associations. Mr. Siegel received his BS in Business Administration from Georgetown University for Accounting and Finance, MBA from Rutgers University for Marketing and Management, and his JD from the Rutgers-Camden Law School. He is admitted to practice law in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the US District Court of New Jersey. Mr. Siegel has previously presented CLE sessions on drone law issues for both the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the American Bar Association, and CLE sessions on cyber security and data privacy law for the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania State Bar Associations.

Dean Geibel is Chief Patent Counsel for Samtec, Inc., a $1B, privately-held, debt-free, global interconnect manufacturer headquartered in New Albany, IN. He earned a BS in Physics from Penn State in 1992, became a US patent agent in 1997, and earned his JD in 1999 from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University. In 2016, Samtec selected Dean to create an IP Department from scratch. Prior to joining Samtec, he oversaw global patent prosecution of electrical and optical interconnects at Framatome Connectors International (FCI) and Amphenol Communications Solution (ACS). After looking exclusively at interconnects for the past 20 years, Dean has developed a commanding working knowledge of electrical and optical interconnect patents and products. Dean has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Asia. He is 2-for-2 before the Chinese Patent Re-examination Board, successfully defending against two separate patent oppositions. He has telecommuted since joining Samtec in 2016. Dean is a 1985 Honor Graduate of US Air Force Basic Military Training School and a 1992 Distinguished Graduate of Detachment 720, Penn State Air Force ROTC. He retired from the Air Force Reserve in 2014 as a Lieutenant Colonel with 25 years of service. Dean contributes over 50 hours a year to indigent inventors through the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, the Penn State Law Intellectual Property Clinic, and Indiana University. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Laurie and their two daughters.

Gene Quinn is a patent attorney and a leading commentator on patent law and innovation policy. Mr. Quinn has twice been named one of the top 50 most influential people in IP by Managing IP Magazine, in both 2014 and 2019. From 2017-2023, Mr. Quinn has also been recognized by IAM Magazine as one of the top 300 IP strategists in the world, and in 2021 he was recognized by IAM in their inaugural Strategy 300 Global Leaders list. Mr. Quinn founded IPWatchdog.com in 1999, and he is currently President & CEO of IPWatchdog, Inc. According to IAM Magazine, Mr. Quinn “has reshaped the IP debate in the United States in a way that has forced policy makers to carefully consider the macroeconomic effects of IP law and its potential to drive innovation and economic activity.” Regarded as an expert on software patentability and U.S. patent procedure, Mr. Quinn has advised inventors, entrepreneurs and start-up businesses throughout the U.S. and around the world. He consults with attorneys facing peculiar procedural issues at the Patent Office, advises investors and executives on patent law changes and pending litigation matters, and has represented patent practitioners before the Office of Enrollment & Discipline. Mr. Quinn began his career as a litigator handling a variety of civil litigation matters, and he has been a patent attorney for nearly two decades. He has previously taught a variety of intellectual property courses at the law school level, teaching courses such as patent law, patent claim drafting, patent prosecution, copyright law, trademark law and introduction to intellectual property at Syracuse University College of Law, Temple University School of Law, The University of Toledo College of Law, the University of New Hampshire School of Law, the John Marshall Law School (Chicago) and Whittier Law School. Since 2000 Mr. Quinn has also taught the leading patent bar review course in the nation. Mr. Quinn is admitted to practice law in New Hampshire, is a Registered Patent Attorney licensed to practice before the United States Patent Office and is also admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Adam Leary is a Professional Liability Consultant at USI Affinity, specializing in insurance solutions for attorneys and professional service firms, with a focus on legal malpractice and cyber liability. He provides tailored coverage, risk management resources, and member-focused programs for bar associations and professional groups. Adam holds the Certified Cyber Insurance Specialist (CCIS) credential, underscoring his expertise in emerging cyber risks and client education. His recent thought leadership highlights practical risk mitigation for law firms and real estate professionals, including guidance on professional liability best practices and the importance of cyber and E&O coverage. Before joining USI in 2022, he held roles in property & casualty sales and client service, building a foundation in insurance and communications. Adam earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Roberts Wesleyan College.

Jada S. Greenhowe joined the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (“PHFA”) as Assistant Counsel in 2014. In her role as Assistant Counsel, Jada provides legal advice regarding an array of topics such as bankruptcy, credit reporting and third-party vendor management and oversight. She counsels PHFA’s secondary mortgage program, the Homeowner’s Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, and represents the Agency in civil litigation matters including Actions to Quiet Title and Commonwealth Court appeals. She oversees federal and state regulatory compliance pertaining to the mortgage servicing industry, such as Act 91 (Homeowner’s Emergency Assistance Act), Act 6 (the Loan Interest and Protection Law) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act for PHFA’s Single Family mortgage program. In addition, she handles multi-party transactional real estate closings involving investor partnerships and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in connection with PHFA’s Multifamily program. In 2013, Ms. Greenhowe obtained her Juris Doctor from the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Law. She earned a B.A. in Communication Rhetoric from the University of Pittsburgh in 2009. Ms. Greenhowe is admitted to practice in the Western, Middle and Eastern District Courts of Pennsylvania. In addition, she is a member of the American Bar Association, the Dauphin County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association where she is a member of the PBA House of Delegates and where she also serves as co- Chair of the Civil and Equal Rights Committee (CERC), and is the co-Chair of CERC’s CLE Subcommittee, as well as its Young Lawyer’s Division (“YLD”) Liaison. In addition, she serves as the At-Large Chair to Diversity for the YLD, is co-Vice Chair of the In-House Counsel Committee and is the YLD Liaison to the Environmental and Energy Law Section. In 2019, Jada was selected as a member of the 2019-2020 class of the PBA’s Bar Leadership Institute.  She is also the 2021 recipient of the Minority Bar Committee’s (“MBC”) Rising Star award and is the current Chair of the MBC Houston’s Rising Star Award Committee.

Jennifer Ellis is an attorney licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and the principal of Jennifer Ellis, JD, LLC, a law practice management and technology consulting firm. Her legal practice focuses on ethics, and her consulting work assists lawyers and legal organizations with technology selection, implementation, and risk management, including cybersecurity and the practical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice.
Jennifer has extensive experience in legal education and professional development and has worked closely with bar associations and continuing legal education providers on the development and presentation of programs for lawyers at all stages of practice. She regularly speaks and writes on legal ethics, law practice management, and emerging technology issues, with an emphasis on helping lawyers evaluate new tools realistically and responsibly. Her work emphasizes clarity, accuracy, and ethical judgment, particularly where law and technology intersect. Find Jennifer online at jlellis.net.

Elizabeth Rose Triscari (she/her/hers) is Senior Director, Corporate Counsel for American Water, the largest U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company, based in Camden, New Jersey, employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide water, wastewater and other related services to more than 15 million people in 46 states. Ms. Triscari represents American Water in various regulatory proceedings, as well as in connection with acquisitions and litigation in state and federal courts. Ms. Triscari serves on the Executive Council of the PBA Commission on Women in the Profession and as Chair of the PBA In-House Counsel Committee. She is on the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation is a past member of PBI’s Board of Directors and past Chair of the PBA Public Utility Law Section. Ms. Triscari received her B.A. in Government from Cornell University and J.D. from Boston College Law School. Prior to joining American Water, Ms. Triscari served as Pennsylvania’s Deputy Small Business Advocate representing small business interests before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.