Malpractice Suit for Document Hack That Exposed Client Info Can Proceed
“A prominent Chinese dissident may proceed with his malpractice case against a law firm based on allegations that the firm failed adequately to protect his personal data from hackers, a Washington, D.C. district court said in an opinion on February 20. In his $50 million suit, the plaintiff, Guo Wengui, alleges that after he retained the firm, someone (assumed to be associated with the Chinese government) penetrated the firm’s computer servers, gained access to his confidential information and published it on the Internet,” reports Karen Rubin and Tom Zych in The Law for Lawyers Today’s Malpractice.
“The district court turned back the firm’s motion to dismiss and allowed most of Wengui’s claims to go forward. The case bears watching as cyberattacks increasingly target law firms, and legal IT teams struggle to stay one step ahead of security threats.”
