Phillip J. Wiese

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.

• Represented a technology company in a series of mass arbitrations alleging violations of BIPA and counseled the company on ongoing BIPA, CCPA, CPRA, and other privacy concerns
• Defended a major hospital chain in a series of class action lawsuits related to a data breach
• Won summary judgment on behalf of two technology companies in lawsuits alleging that the companies violated BIPA
• Counseled a sports technology company in prelitigation matters involving a potential ownership dispute
• Defended an online travel company in arbitrations alleging violations of California’s unfair business practices acts, including the Unfair Competition Law and Consumers Legal Remedies Act; handled all aspects of the arbitrations including witness examinations and closing arguments
• Defended a healthcare provider in California state courts against several consumer class action allegations that the company made false representations in the scope of its network
• Represented a beer and beverage distributor against a beer supplier in a breach-of-contract action; successfully defeated anti-SLAPP claim in published court of appeal opinion
• Represented a biotechnology company in Delaware Chancery Court trial regarding violations of non-competition clause and misappropriation of trade secrets
• Defended residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) trustees in several class, derivative, and individual actions brought by investors of certificates issued by RMBS trusts alleging claims for, among other things, breach of contract and violation of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939
• Represented a financial services company in a series of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitrations related to broker-dealer fraud