Edelson’s Public Client Practice Group is led by Partners David Mindell and Jimmy Rock and
includes a team of experienced lawyers and professionals committed to representing government
entities, including States, Tribes and Municipalities, in a wide range of cutting-edge affirmative
litigation matters. Collectively, the lawyers in this group have almost 30 years of experience directly working in State Attorneys’ General Offices or State legislatures prior to joining Edelson. This specialized group joins forces with government enforcers to tackle complex social, economic, and environmental challenges, providing innovative legal solutions that create lasting positive change.
We have represented public clients across a variety of consumer protection, environmental and
public health, and privacy-related matters. We staff our public client matters holistically, bringing in
team members from each of our other working groups as needed. This is particularly important as
the public client cases we handle frequently involve issues of first impression. Some of our notable
work includes:
- Edelson represents the Illinois Attorney General in investigations and litigation against
energy suppliers whose deceptive and fraudulent practices have resulted in tens of millions
of dollars in damages to consumers. - Edelson represents the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, the District of Columbia
Attorney General, and one of the Nation’s largest Tribes in their investigation of PFAS and
other potential contamination and exposure issues resulting from “forever chemicals,” and to
assist in any subsequent litigation that may result. - Edelson successfully represented the State of Idaho and approximately 50 other
governmental entities (including many cities) in claims against manufacturers and
distributors of prescription opioids. - Edelson represents or has represented the City of Chicago in privacy cases against some of
the largest corporations of the day, including Uber, Equifax, and Marriott. In Equifax,
Edelson secured a landmark seven-figure settlement under a City-specific statute. - Edelson successfully represented the District of Columbia in its litigation against e-cigarette
manufacturer, Juul for its predatory and deceptive marketing tactics and its litigation against
Google for the deceptive use of user’s location data. Edelson continues to represent the
District in its landmark case against Facebook for allegedly misusing user data. - Edelson successfully represented the State of New Mexico in a privacy suit alleging that
Google LLC violates the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. § 6501, et seq.
(“COPPA”) and various state laws by collecting data from New Mexico school children
under the age of thirteen through its G-Suite for Education products and services. The case,
in conjunction with another, ultimately resulted in a seven-figure settlement and in Google
launching a first-of-its-kind “Kids Initiative” to promote education, privacy, and digital safety
for New Mexico children. - Edelson has been delegated by the Delaware Department of Justice as a Panel Member of
Delaware’s Department of Justice’s Environmental Counsel Panel for Special Litigation.
Edelson successfully represented the Village of Melrose Park, Illinois in litigation arising
from the closure of Westlake Hospital in what has been called “one of the most complicated
hospital closure disputes in the state’s history.” As a result of the litigation, the Village
received $1.5 million and the hospital reopened.