With a well-earned reputation for handling highly sensitive matters, Williams & Connolly is particularly well suited to represent clients in cybersecurity and data protection matters regarding a range of issues such as misappropriation of company data, breach of customer data, and security vulnerabilities. Our attorneys have advised clients on cybersecurity and data protection issues in a wide variety of contexts, including both investigative and litigation matters. We have repeatedly demonstrated the firm’s ability to navigate national security issues involving sensitive matters and materials, and also to master and resolve complex technology issues, including with respect to the cross-border transfer of information under foreign data privacy and state secrets laws.
Williams & Connolly has been recognized by Chambers Global as a top firm for Investigations & Enforcement and International & Cross-border matters, and is noted by The Legal 500 as “well regarded for their ‘fearsome litigation skills’ which ensures that they are regularly the first port of call for clients engaged in high-stakes matters.”
Representative Experience
Recent significant representations include:
- Representing a subsidiary of a global data and analytics company in putative class actions, consolidated in the Central District of California, which arose out of a widely publicized data breach and involved allegations of violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) and state statutes. The firm secured summary judgment on the FCRA claims and dismissal of most other claims, and the few remaining claims were settled on favorable terms.
- Representing a government contractor in defending a putative class action arising out of an alleged data breach resulting in the theft of sensitive personal information.
- Representing a government contractor in connection with Congressional inquiries into a major data breach affecting U.S. governmental agencies.
- Representing CoStar in a global litigation strategy to address unauthorized and fraudulent actions by CoStar’s leading competitor to gain access to CoStar’s database of commercial real estate information, culminating in the largest judgment at that time in U.S. history for the infringement of photographs, and the third largest copyright judgment of any kind, as well as a permanent injunction.
- Representing a Fortune 100 technology company and certain of its executives in nationwide multidistrict consumer class action proceedings and a related securities class action, as well as advising on related international proceedings, arising out of alleged hardware security vulnerabilities.
- Representing a global technology company whose software controls critical domestic infrastructure in a grand jury investigation involving national security issues and complex technology.
- Representing Medtronic in a securities class action related to the reporting of clinical trial data.
- Representing an inter-broker dealer in a successful arbitration for breach of contract relating to the theft and misuse of proprietary data and technological systems information.
- Representing a major computer company in trade secret litigation regarding software for processing Big Data.
- Serving as lead trial and bid protest counsel for Chenega Patriot Group, a protective security services firm accused of misappropriation of trade secrets and related torts in connection with a multibillion-dollar government contract.