TOMS RIVER-It’s not certain why, but Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill is launching an investigation in town hall and is hiring one of the region’s top security breach law firms and investigators.
Insiders within town hall are speculating that Hill is hiring John F. Mullen to investigate actions of his opponents and detractors on the Toms River Township council.
John F. Mullen, Sr. is a name partner and co-founder of Mullen Coughlin, a leading data and information security legal consultant.
“Mr. Mullen and the firm focus their practice on assisting insureds in preparing for and responding to data privacy and network security events,” Mullen’s website reads. “He regularly presents on data privacy and network security issues for insurers and brokers.”
Mullen is renowned in the data security industry and has been published and quoted as a national expert on cyber/data loss issues in multiple publications.
“The firm’s data privacy and security practice centers on immediate and comprehensive response to data loss events,” the company claims.
The firm is known in the industry as a “breach coach” and is called upon to locate internal data and privacy breaches for financial firms usually. Hill has not spoken publicly about what kind of data breach has affected town hall but will ask the council to approve payment to Mullen’s firm on Tuesday.
The resolution doesn’t stipulate a maximum appropriation limit for Hill’s investigator.
There are two resolutions on the docket at Tuesday night’s town council meeting:
RESOLUTION of the Township Council of the Township of Toms River, Ocean County, New Jersey, authorizing Mayor Maurice B. Hill, Jr., to execute a letter of engagement with John F. Mullen, Esq., of the law firm of Mullen Coughlin LLC, in connection with a certain township matter.
RESOLUTION of the Township Council of the Township of Toms River, Ocean County, New Jersey, authorizing Mayor Maurice B. Hill, Jr., to execute an arrangement letter with the firms of Accenture LLP, the law firm of Mullen Coughlin LLC, and the township of Toms River, in connection township matters.