Related Practice Areas:
Electronic Transactions
Intellectual Property
Litigation
Privacy
Technology
Trade Secrets
Partners:
Michael P. Bennett
William J. Cook
Nancy Derwin-Weiss
Alan L. Friel
Justine Young Gottshall
John S. Letchinger
Thomas J. Smedinghoff
Data Security
Protecting the security of corporate information and computer systems was once just a technical issue to be addressed by the IT department. Today, however, data security has become a legal obligation that has reached the boardroom of every major company. Recently enacted security statutes and regulations have imposed numerous new legal responsibilities on the private sector. And properly responding to security breaches that do occur has now become important from both a legal and public relations perspective. Wildman Harrold’s data security attorneys work with companies nationwide to manage this critical new part of the legal and business landscape. Our Data Security Practice is comprised of nationally recognized attorneys who were among the first to practice in this area of law. We regularly assist clients with the legal aspects of security, helping them to assess compliance needs, design workable compliance programs to meet developing legal standards, provide immediate legal response to computer intrusions and theft of electronic information, and litigate cases involving compromises of information or network security.
- Represented a global telecommunications company when computers with a client’s employee database of health information, personal credit cards, and other personal information were stolen from the client’s health care vendor. Wildman Harrold identified both the HIPAA exposure and the potential employee legal actions. We prepared and oversaw an ISO 17799 security audit and evaluated compensating controls after the vendor was forced to meet ISO 17799 and corporate standards. We negotiated vendor contract changes, remediation, and rewrote security provisions for vendor contracts.
- Represented a global technology company in an industry forum to establish a standard for authenticating organizations doing business over the Internet. As lead counsel for this strategic initiative, Wildman Harrold authored the proposed new standard for online authentication, which is designed to enhance the security of doing business over the Internet and will help combat online identity fraud, including phishing.
- Representing a national retailer in the industry’s most high profile alleged data security breach to date. Representation includes all aspects of counseling ranging from compliance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards and rules, to forensic analysis of complex data systems and financial transactions, to threatened claims in connection with alleged fraud losses.