In Wake of BIPA Ruling, Illinois Law Firms Look to Biometrics Specialization

Chicago-based law firm Hahn Loeser & Parks has opened a new Biometric Privacy Practice Group aimed at supporting clients fighting claims under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act.

It’s the latest sign of what may be a growing niche in the state’s legal field, after a landmark Illinois Supreme Court ruling in January that clearly upheld the broadest interpretation of BIPA, ensuring that cases could be brought against any company that collects individuals’ biometric information without their informed consent. Just a few weeks ago, another Illinois law office, Shook, Hardy, and Bacon, announced that it had added two biometrics specialists to its corporate litigation team.

In announcing its Biometric Privacy Practice Group, Hahn Loeser & Parks called BIPA “the strongest biometric privacy statute in the United States,” adding, “Claims can be readily combined into class actions, exponentially increasing financial risk for businesses.”

Elaborating further on the implications of BIPA and the Supreme Court ruling, Ian Fisher, who will chair the new Hahn Loeser & Parks practice, said, “The use of biometric data will expand and grow in ways we cannot predict.” Fisher added that the new practice will “assist clients with implementing best practices for using biometric technology in their businesses” and “reduce their potential risk.”

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March 19, 2019 – by Alex Perala