Law firms Quinn Emanuel and McDermott report data security breaches
U.S. law firms Quinn Emanuel and McDermott said they had recently experienced data security breaches and reported the incidents to law enforcement. Those responsible for the two cases have not been identified, and it is also unknown whether they are connected, Channel NewsAsia reports, citing Reuters.
Incident at Quinn Emanuel
In an August 25 letter to an attorney for Muddy Waters, Quinn Emanuel said that on August 14 an unauthorized third party gained access to files through social engineering methods. Some of the compromised information concerned Muddy Waters documents that Quinn Emanuel obtained as part of a court case in Florida.
Quinn Emanuel said it detected unauthorized access to stored files in one software application through one temporarily compromised user account. According to the firm, the incident affected a limited number of client documents, and the interested parties have been informed. The company also said that unauthorized access to its systems is no longer ongoing.
Muddy Waters said Quinn Emanuel failed to protect its confidential information. Earlier, the company asked a court to bar Quinn Emanuel from participating in a lawsuit against Muddy Waters in Texas, claiming that the firm had previously represented its interests in related matters. Quinn Emanuel rejected the conflict-of-interest claims and said that one of its lawyers represented Muddy Waters for a short time in another case.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
McDermott notification
Last week, McDermott notified the Vermont attorney general about the security breach. The data in the files affected by the incident included Social Security numbers and health information.
The firm said it was an isolated social engineering incident involving one user and a limited number of documents. McDermott engaged cybersecurity specialists to investigate and worked with law enforcement agencies. The firm said the incident had been resolved and that its systems remain secure.
Last month, at least three other law firms, including Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and Goodwin Procter, also disclosed security breaches to U.S. state regulators. In July, a proposed class-action lawsuit was filed against WilmerHale over a data incident affecting the firm.
