Illinois Law Office Adds Two Biometric Specialists to Corporate Litigation Team

Shook, Hardy, and Bacon has added two biometrics specialists to its corporate litigation team in Illinois. The law office has announced that attorneys Melissa Siebert (a new Partner) and Erin Bolan Hines (Of Counsel) will be handling complex biometrics lawsuits as members of the firm’s Business Litigation, Employment and Privacy and Data Security Practices department.

The move is an effort to adapt to the shifting biometrics landscape, particularly in the wake of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), which requires explicit consent from individuals for the collection of biometric data. BIPA also allows citizens to bring class action lawsuits against companies that violate the law.

Siebert and Hines will defend employers against such litigation, and will provide additional counseling to Shook’s clients in the health and technology sectors.

“Melissa and Erin are both seasoned trial attorneys with a deep knowledge of our clients’ core industries,” said Shook Chair Madeleine McDonough. “They have honed their litigation strategy both in contentious disputes and before boardrooms and the media.”

Siebert and Hines have handled more than 20 BIPA cases in the past two years, giving them a wealth of experience in the biometrics legal field. BIPA lawsuits have already been filed against Google and Six Flags. Shook’s latest announcement indicates that biometrics companies will need to be more aware of policy and privacy issues as governments craft new regulations to protect their citizens.

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February 28, 2019 – by Eric Weiss