Last summer, three top 50 Biglaw firms — Kirkland & Ellis, K&L Gates, and Proskauer Rose — were targeted in a global cybersecurity incident by the ransomware group known as CL0P. The massive data heist affected more than 50 global corporations and banks, as well as more than 16 million individuals. Now, one of those law firms is facing a class action lawsuit over the breach.
Kirkland is the first firm to be sued over the cyberattack. As noted by the American Lawyer, the firm represented Trilogy Home Health during its acquisition by Humana subsidiary CenterWell Home Health. Trilogy reportedly used the MOVEit tool to transfer files to Kirkland, which enabled CL0P to gain access to individuals’ private consumer information — and one of those individuals brought this case against the firm.
Here are some additional details from the suit:
The complaint goes on to highlight Kirkland’s online privacy policy’s assurance that it employs “commercially appropriate, physical, technical and procedural safeguards and measures to protect your personal data in our possession or under our control, to the extent possible, from unauthorized or accidental access and improper use.”
“Despite Kirkland’s self-described expertise in breach notification and compliance, it did not notify Trilogy that the Data Breach impacted its files until October 26, 2023,” the complaint states. “And Trilogy did not notify affected consumers until early March 2024—nearly a full year after the Data Breach occurred.”
More than 100 lawsuits have been filed since the CL0P data breach occurred. Stay tuned to see how this one turns out, and whether other Biglaw firms will find themselves on the receiving end of their own suits.
Kirkland & Elis Faces Class Action Over 2023 Data Breach [American Lawyer]
Earlier: Top Biglaw Firms Targeted In Global Cyberattack
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.
