Cybersecurity
Ex-employee sues Sheppard Mullin over cyberattack exposing delicate private information
A former paralegal at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton has filed a purported class motion lawsuit alleging that the legislation agency failed to guard private info stolen in an August cyberattack that she mentioned affected a minimum of 1,000 folks. (Picture from Shutterstock)
A former paralegal at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton has filed a purported class motion lawsuit alleging that the legislation agency failed to guard private info stolen in an August cyberattack that she mentioned affected a minimum of 1,000 folks.
According to Law360, Pena-Emilia Williams filed the grievance with the U.S. District Court docket for the Central District of California on Wednesday, claiming that the breach uncovered names and Social Safety numbers, in addition to driver’s license and authorities ID numbers, and that the theft was a “bell that can’t be unrung” for workers and purchasers.
Sheppard Mullin disclosed the incident to the California legal professional normal’s workplace Oct. 2, revealing that an legal professional had fallen prey to a social engineering assault and had given paperwork to an unknown third get together.
The swimsuit accused the agency of failing to adequately practice staff on cybersecurity and preserve correct safeguards. Williams, who labored as a paralegal on the agency from 2022 till March of this yr, additionally claimed that the agency didn’t correctly notify affected folks inside a sure period of time after the breach as required by California legislation.
“Defendant had no efficient means to stop, detect, cease or mitigate breaches of its methods—thereby permitting cybercriminals unrestricted entry to its staff’ and purchasers’ staff’ [personally identifiable information],” Williams wrote in her Oct. 7 grievance.
The swimsuit provides Sheppard Mullin to a rising record of companies to be sued over information breaches in 2026. In July, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr was sued within the U.S. District Court docket for the District of Columbia by a former shopper, whereas Fox Rothschild was sued in June within the U.S. District Court docket for the Japanese District of Pennsylvania.
Representatives for Williams and Sheppard Mullin didn’t reply to Law360’s requests for remark Thursday.
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