Houston Harbaugh attorneys recently attended the Women in the Law Division (WLD) Luncheon hosted by the Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA), where the firm proudly sponsored a table in support of this meaningful professional event.

The luncheon featured keynote speaker Jamila Wideman, General Manager of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, who shared her inspiring career journey spanning professional athletics, public interest law, and leadership in professional sports organizations. Wideman discussed her transition from being a standout collegiate athlete at Stanford University and a member of the WNBA’s inaugural draft class to earning her law degree from NYU School of Law and building a career as a civil rights and criminal defense attorney.

The event provided an excellent opportunity for attorneys and legal professionals across the region to connect, learn from Wideman’s unique professional path, and celebrate the ongoing work of the ACBA Women in the Law Division in supporting and advancing women in the legal community.

Houston Harbaugh was proud to support this event and remains committed to engaging with organizations that foster professional development, mentorship, and leadership within the legal profession.

To learn more about the ACBA Women in Law Division, click here.

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Houston Harbaugh, P.C. is pleased to announce that attorney Robert Burnett has been appointed to serve on the Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA) Professional Ethics Committee.

The Professional Ethics Committee, upon request of any member of the association, its Board of Governors, or any Committee or Section, provides guidance on the proper interpretation of the Code of Judicial Conduct and the Rules of Professional Conduct. The Committee offers opinions on the applicability of these standards to particular factual circumstances that do not involve questions of judicial discretion or decision.

Mr. Burnett’s appointment reflects Houston Harbaugh’s ongoing commitment to ethical practice and leadership within the legal community.

To learn more about the ACBA, click here.

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Their article, “The AI Daily Routine: An Artificial Intelligence Practicum for Defense Attorneys,” is Part 2 of their Defending the Algorithm series and was published by the DRI Center for Law and Public Policy AI Task Force.

The article examines how law firms can build effective AI infrastructure, improve information architecture, master prompt engineering, enhance legal research and litigation analytics, manage large-scale e-discovery using AI tools, and implement responsible governance protocols.

To read the full article, click here.

Henry Sneath will chair, and all three authors will speak at DRI’s full-day live CLE seminar, “Artificial Intelligence in Defense Practice: Tools, Prompts, Workflows, Implementation and Governance”, hosted by the DRI Center for Law and Public Policy.

Date: March 9–10, 2026
Location: DRI Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois

The program will focus on practical guidance for defense practitioners, corporate counsels and insurance professionals navigating the use of artificial intelligence, including risk management, litigation strategy, ESI Discovery protocols, AI governance, and ethical considerations.

For more information about the seminar and networking event, including registration, click here.

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The Health Care Law practice at Houston Harbaugh is proud to announce its recent partnership with the Duquesne University SBDC Pro Bono & Legal Services Program. Through this partnership, all active start-up clients of the Duquesne University SBDC have access to up to ten hours of pro bono legal assistance from participating firms.

To read the full press release, click here.

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Houston Harbaugh, P.C. was proud to sponsor the ACBA LGBTQ+ Rights Committee’s International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges Panel Discussion. This program brought together distinguished judges from across North America to share insights on judicial experiences, LGBTQ+ legal issues, representation, and pathways to the bench.

Through its support, Houston Harbaugh reaffirms its commitment to promoting inclusion and meaningful dialogue within the legal community.

To learn more about the ACBA, click here.

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Jessica A. Ellel concentrates her practice in healthcare law. Chair of Houston Harbaugh’s Health Law Practice, Jessica works almost exclusively with health care entities and health practitioners. Jessica is especially well-versed in HIPAA compliance and conducts on-site and remote HIPAA training and maintains Houston Harbaugh’s HIPAA compliance manual. She serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law teaching Health Care Business Transactions. She received her Juris Doctorate and Health Law Certificate from the University of Pittsburgh, where she was editor for The Pittsburgh Journal of Technology Law and Policy, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University.

John M. Hartzell, Jr. concentrates his practice in estate planning and estate and trust administration and chairs the Firm’s Estates and Trusts practice. With prior experience as a Certified Public Accountant, he leverages his knowledge of tax law for businesses and individuals in preparing estate and gift tax plans, and he works with business owners on their succession planning matters. Additionally, John counsels landowners with oil and gas interests on their tax and estate planning challenges. He is skilled at using sophisticated estate planning techniques to minimize federal and state death taxes and to transfer wealth in a controlled and efficient manner. He received his Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University, an MBA from Clarion University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University.

Samuel H. Simon concentrates his practice on commercial/business litigation and co-chairs the Firm’s Litigation Practice. He regularly represents clients in the construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, and wholesale/retail/ distribution industries, as well as individuals in matters such as breach of contract disputes, negligence, restrictive covenants, civil rights, construction litigation, and environmental litigation. Sam also represents architects and engineers in such matters as faulty design specifications and design negligence. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Duquesne University School of Law, teaching Federal Civil Rights Litigation. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Akron, where he was a member of the Law Review, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Alex W. Thomson concentrates his practice in business law. He represents a wide range of business clients from start-ups to publicly traded companies in a diverse set of industries, from steel to software. He has counseled clients in numerous corporate transactions, including sales, acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, and strategic alliances. Thomson has helped clients obtain both public and private financing for their businesses, including venture capital financing. He received his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a member of the Law Review. Thomson also earned an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Boston University.

Heidi Rai Stewart concentrates her practice in the area of estate planning and estate and trust administration. Her work in the Firm’s Estates and Trusts practice extends to Special Needs planning and Long-Term Care planning, including Elder Law. Stewart also regularly represents clients in Orphans’ Court matters such as Will contests, guardianships, actions relating to undue influence, and breaches of fiduciary duty. She also is accredited to represent clients in Veteran’s Administration proceedings. She received her Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Carlow College (now Carlow University).

Please join us in congratulating our newly elected Executive Committee and Officers on their well-deserved election win.

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Houston Harbaugh is pleased to announce the promotion of Senior Attorney Acacia B. Perko to Shareholder. On behalf of the Executive Committee and the Directors, promotions are effective January 1, 2026:

The promotion is from the firm’s key practice areas of Litigation and Intellectual Property.

“We congratulate Acacia on her hard work and dedication in achieving this well-earned promotion. We are excited to have her as a partner and know she will continue her high level of success as she moves to this next step in her career.” said Alex W. Thomson, President of Houston Harbaugh.

Houston Harbaugh’s Newest Shareholders

Acacia B. Perko

Acacia is a Business, IP, and AI Trial Lawyer with 14 years of experience litigating high-stakes cases in state and federal courts. She combines a broad-based litigation background with a national focus on the emerging legal challenges of Artificial Intelligence. As a co-author of Houston Harbaugh’s “Defending the Algorithm” series, Acacia serves as a lead strategist for companies navigating the intersection of traditional business disputes and emerging technology.

Acacia’s practice is built on a deep foundation in Business Litigation, Intellectual Property, Trade Secret Law, Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Law and Insurance Defense. An accomplished advocate with extensive first and second-chair trial experience, she is licensed in state and federal courts in both Pennsylvania and Ohio, representing a diverse range of regional and national clients through all phases of litigation and appellate advocacy.

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On March 10, 2026, the DRI Center for Law and Public Policy AI Task Force (www.dri.org) presents a one-day national seminar at the DRI Headquarters in Chicago, Artificial Intelligence in Defense Practice: Tools, Prompts, Workflows, Implementation, and Governance Seminar, designed to equip defense attorneys, corporate counsels and insurance claims professionals with practical, defensible, and immediately usable AI strategies.

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. Shareholder Henry M. Sneath will chair the program and will present along with other featured speakers including Christopher M. Jacobs and Acacia B. Perko, this immersive program goes beyond theory to show how AI is actually being used in litigation today. Attendees will experience live demonstrations, real-world workflows, and proven techniques that can be implemented immediately upon returning to practice.

Why Attend

• Learn how leading defense firms are using AI to improve efficiency and outcomes
• See AI tools in action across research, discovery, motion practice, and trial preparation
• Develop defensible AI workflows that align with ethical and professional obligations
• Gain insight into firm-wide AI governance, risk management, and policy development

This program is ideal for attorneys and claims professionals at every stage of AI adoption, from first-time users to advanced practitioners seeking to refine and scale their AI strategies.

Conveniently Timed with DRI Insurance Claims Seminar

The AI seminar takes place one day before the DRI Insurance Claims Seminar (March 11–13), also in Chicago. With multiple firm attorneys speaking and attending, this week provides an exceptional opportunity for professional development, networking, and national thought leadership engagement.

To learn more about the seminar and to register, click here.

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Their article, “Defending the Algorithm: A Bayesian Analysis of AI Litigation and Law,” examines artificial intelligence, Bayes theorem of conditional probability and provides a framework for defending AI-related litigation. The authors analyze emerging case law involving AI training, copyright, trade secrets, Terms of Service violations, and related liability theories, applying Bayesian probability concepts to assess litigation risk and future trends.

The article was published by the DRI Center for Law and Public Policy AI Task Force and is Part One of a two-part series addressing how courts and practitioners are responding to AI-driven disputes

To read the full article, click here.

Henry Sneath will chair, and all three authors will speak at DRI’s full-day live CLE seminar, “Artificial Intelligence in Defense Practice: Tools, Prompts, Workflows, Implementation and Governance”, hosted by the DRI Center for Law and Public Policy.

Date: March 9–10, 2026
Location: DRI Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois

The program will focus on practical guidance for defense practitioners navigating the use of artificial intelligence, including risk management, litigation strategy, governance, and ethical considerations.

For more information about the seminar and networking event, including registration, click here.

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Mr. Jacobs will participate in the session “Responsible AI in a Rapidly Changing Landscape,” a timely discussion focused on the legal, regulatory, and ethical challenges organizations face as AI adoption accelerates. The panel will examine critical issues including employee use of AI, intellectual property, bias, liability, and emerging regulations, offering practical guidance for deploying AI responsibly while remaining compliant and future-ready.

To learn more, click here.

To read Houston Harbaugh’s blog posts and to subscribe to the firm’s podcast in the Defending the Algorithm series, click here.

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