Law Firm Data Breach Exposes Client Personal Information

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr, a large law firm, experienced a data breach in May that resulted in the loss of clients' personal information. A lawsuit filed in US District Court for the District of Columbia claims that thousands of people had their personal information compromised. The lawsuit seeks damages for negligence and breach of contract.

If you are or were a client of WilmerHale, your personal information may have been exposed in this breach. Law firms typically store sensitive data including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, financial information, and confidential legal matters. The lawsuit indicates that thousands of clients are potentially affected.

If you have used this firm's services, you should assume your information may be at risk.

Take these steps right away if you are a WilmerHale client:

1. Contact the law firm directly to confirm whether your information was included in the breach and what specific data was exposed.
2. Monitor your credit reports from all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) for suspicious activity. You can get free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com.
3. Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit files to prevent identity thieves from opening accounts in your name.
4. Watch your bank and credit card statements closely for unauthorized charges.
5. Be extremely cautious of emails or phone calls claiming to be from the law firm, as scammers often follow data breaches with phishing attempts. Going forward, ask any professional service provider how they protect your personal information. When working with lawyers, doctors, accountants, or other professionals who handle sensitive data, you have the right to know what security measures they use. Keep careful records of where you have shared personal information so you know what to monitor if a breach occurs.