Based in Washington DC, WilmerHale is particularly adept in the healthcare sector and is geared to support a full scope of privacy issues, from risk-mitigating compliance strategies to personal health information cyberattacks to class actions. The firm’s capabilities extend to the finance, retail, and advertising technology industry, handling data breaches, FTC regulatory investigations, and consumer protection litigation. The practice is jointly led by Benjamin Powell, an expert in cybersecurity incidents, preparedness, and investigations, and Kirk Nahra, advising on security breaches, transactional matters, and enforcement actions for startups and Fortune 500 companies. Jason Chipman is well-versed in complex regulatory matters stemming from incident response, while Arianna Evers represents clients on privacy and consumer protection violation-related regulatory investigations and litigations. Ali Jessani is noted for privacy, cybersecurity, and regulatory risk matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘What truly sets the team at WilmerHale apart is their deep subject matter expertise, not just of the law, but also of complex technologies, their deep familiarity with their client at both the institutional level and the individual level, and their solutions-oriented, pragmatic approach.’
‘Boyd Johnson has the rare ability to intake complex, high-stakes facts, conduct deep internal analysis, and, by the end of the call, provide a first class legal strategy, uniquely molded for his client's objectives and risk tolerance.'
- 'What sets Jason Chipman apart is his ability to leverage his wealth of experience and expertise to provide solutions-oriented advice customized to meet the unique needs of his clients. He excels in high pressure, dynamic environments and is able to transition seamlessly from complex matter to complex matter without skipping a beat.’
Key clients
- Oracle
- 23andMe
Work highlights
Representing Oracle Corporation and its subsidiary Cerner Corporation in a series of putative class action lawsuits arising from a cyberattack that resulted in the unauthorized exfiltration of the putative class members’ personally identifiable and personal health information, including patient records.
Represented the Consumer Privacy Ombudsman appointment by the bankruptcy court in the 23andMe bankruptcy in connection with his assigned task of advising the bankruptcy on the wide range of privacy issues associated with the 23andMe database of genetic information.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Benjamin Powell; Kirk Nahra
Other key lawyers
Jason Chipman; Arianna Evers; Ali Jessani; Boyd Johnson