Blank Rome LLP was hit with a proposed class action Monday alleging it negligently failed to protect the personal information of more than 57,000 current and former clients in a May data incident.<\/p>\n
The firm breached its duties under common law, contract law, industry standards, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to implement reasonable and adequate data security measures and provide timely notice of the breach, according to a complaint<\/a> filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n Lead plaintiff Laura Delapaz alleged the breach exposed names, Social Security numbers, physical and email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, taxpayer identification numbers, driver\u2019s license numbers, state ID card numbers, passport numbers, financial-account numbers, payment card information, medical information, and health insurance information.<\/p>\n Blank Rome, an Am Law 100 firm with 800 attorneys in 16 offices in the US and abroad, didn\u2019t respond immediately to a request for comment.<\/p>\n Other law firms that have been sued over data breaches include Washington-based Wiley Rein LLP<\/a>; New York-based Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP<\/a>; and Texas-based Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP<\/a>.<\/p>\n Delapaz and class members suffered injuries including invasion of privacy, lost time and money responding to the breach, emotional distress, increased spam communications, reduced value of personal information, and increased risk of fraud and identity theft, the complaint said.<\/p>\n Delapaz seeks to represent a class of people in the US whose private information was compromised in the breach.<\/p>\n The complaint brings claims of negligence, breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of confidence, and violations of the California Unfair Competition Law, the California Consumer Privacy Act, and the California Customer Records Act.<\/p>\n The plaintiff is seeking compensatory, punitive, and statutory damages; restitution; equitable and injunctive relief; attorneys\u2019 fees and costs; and pre- and post-judgment interest.<\/p>\n Strauss Borrelli PLLC represents the plaintiff and the proposed class.<\/p>\n