Phillip J. Wiese focuses his practice on complex commercial and consumer class action litigation on behalf of clients across myriad industries, including ecommerce, technology, financial services, and healthcare. Phillip has actively litigated and counseled clients on privacy, data protection, and CCPA/CPRA matters. Phillip has represented clients in US federal and state courts through all phases of litigation, from pretrial strategy assessment to trial and appeals.
Phillip regularly advises technology and retail clients on compliance with data privacy and cybersecurity requirements, including the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), among others, in the ever-evolving privacy landscape. Phillip counsels these clients through consumer class action lawsuits and consumer protection allegations, finding creative approaches to resolving the matters.
In addition, Phillip successfully led the defense of an online travel company facing unfair business practices claims in arbitration, wherein he examined the witnesses and gave the closing argument. Phillip also led the defense of a large financial institution against a series of class action and individual claims stemming from the mortgage loan crisis. Phillip defended depositions, marshaled the cases through discovery, and oversaw the development of the defensive strategy. While he is adept at counseling clients through legal issues and advocating for favorable settlement, he is equally comfortable taking cases to trial.
Phillip has an active and wide-ranging pro bono practice. He has successfully obtained U-Visas for victims of criminal activities and helped a transgender inmate secure the first-in-the-country sex reassignment surgery.
While in law school, Phillip served as a judicial extern for Judge Virginia M. Kendall in the Northern District of Illinois. He was a journalist at a community newspaper before he attended law school.
Member, American Bar Association
Member, San Francisco Bar Association
Former Member, Board of Directors, Eviction Defense Collaborative