Jay Edelson

• Wildfires: Firm successfully obtained groundbreaking jury verdicts against PacifiCorp for the Oregon Labor Day Fires, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars with thousands of trials pending. Firm is currently helping lead litigation for the Marshall Fires against Xcel Edison and the Eaton Fires against Southern California Edison, and contributed to achieving $13.5 billion wildfire settlement against PG&E.
• EtO Pollution: Recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for individuals harmed by exposure to Ethylene Oxide (EtO) pollution.
• NCAA Concussion Litigation: Co-led NCAA concussion injury litigation, one of the nation’s largest multidistrict litigations.
• Financial & Consumer Protection: Restored over $5 billion in credit lines following the financial crash and obtained precedent-setting relief in home loan modification litigation (Wells Fargo).
• Consumer Safety: Secured substantial settlements in cases involving lead-contaminated children’s toys and contaminated pet food, and protected health insurance coverage for thousands of individuals.

Jay is recognized as a pioneer in privacy class action litigation, having secured groundbreaking settlements collectively exceeding $1.5 billion against major corporations such as Netflix, Amazon, Microsoft, and Sears for privacy breaches and intrusive practices. Notable cases include:

• Biometric Privacy: Co-led the historic $650 million Facebook biometric privacy settlement—the largest single-state privacy settlement—and secured over $100 million in additional biometric-related litigation, including a landmark injunction against Clearview AI.
• Telecommunications & Consumer Protection: Achieved significant nationwide settlements totaling hundreds of millions for unauthorized cellular charges and unsolicited text messaging, including the largest TCPA settlement at the time ($76 million against Caribbean Cruise Line).
• Social Casino Litigation: Lead negotiator in first-of-their-kind social casino lawsuits, leading to verdicts and settlements of over $675 million. Also court-appointed lead negotiator in multidistrict litigation against Google, Facebook, and Apple for their respective roles in the social casino industry.
• Precedent-Setting Cases: Lead counsel in Robins v. Spokeo, where the United States Supreme Court held that “intangible” harms can satisfy Article 3 standing requirements, and secured the first data breach settlements offering cash compensation without proof of identity theft or injury.
• Privacy Statute Enforcement: Successfully brought actions under numerous state and federal privacy statutes, including the VPPA, SCA, ECPA, CFAA, FCRA, TCPA, Michigan’s VRPA, Illinois’s BIPA, various right of publicity statutes, and common law theories.

Jay represents state and municipal governments in high-impact litigation, notably:

• Environmental & Public Health: Pursuing environmental enforcement actions including over PFAS and led litigation against JUUL over vaping-related harms.
• Opioid Crisis: Contributed to the landmark $26 billion global opioid settlement on behalf of states, municipalities, unions, and individuals.
• Privacy & Consumer Protection: Representation of governmental entities in major privacy and data breach cases against Cambridge Analytica, Google, Marriott, Equifax, and Uber and in social media addiction cases against Meta, TikTok, and others.
• Public Corruption: Represented municipalities in Ohio challenging tax enacted as part of bribery scheme. Case settled, saving taxpayers nearly $1 billion.

• Brought in as lead negotiator in dispute on behalf of a tech company against a VC firm alleging fraud and violations of the Securities & Exchange Act. Case resolved successfully pre-suit.
• Represented tech company in legal malpractice dispute, resulting in multi-million dollar settlement — well in excess of the “hard” damages suffered.
• Represented start-up in legal malpractice dispute, resulting in multi-million dollar settlement.
• Advised company that faced a class action in related malpractice claims it had against its law firm, leading to a significant decrease in fees owed.
• Brought in to negotiate potential class action brought against a nationwide nutritional food company. Case resolved prior to suit being filed for a fraction of even the nuisance value of the case.

• Advised start-up on host of legal issues, including reformulating their business plan to ensure compliance with myriad state regulatory schemes. Company later became recognized as one of the fastest growing businesses in Chicago.
• Consulted with successful Midwest technology company, also recognized as one of the fastest growing in the area.
• Consulted with medtech start-up, including help with product launch, negotiation of licensing agreement, and general strategic issues.
• Consultant on several tech start-ups, providing legal and strategic advice.

• Lead negotiator in over 100 mediations collectively involving multi-billions of dollars at issue. The mediations included consumer and employment class actions, individual, multi-party, mass and class personal injury lawsuits, and individual cases ranging from business to business disputes to employment claims to civil rights matters.
• Served as a private mediator in successful resolution of 8-figure class action lawsuit.
• Served as an informal mediator in several class action disputes involving fee issues and objections.

• Tom Girardi: Won a contempt motion against Girardi based on evidence he stole client funds from the widows and orphans of the Lion Air Plane Crash. Motion led to Girardi’s disbarment, a criminal referral, Girardi being pushed into bankruptcy, further contempt hearings against Girardi’s partners (led by Edelson’s firm), and lawsuits against numerous defendants alleged to have participated in Girardi’s decade-long Ponzi scheme (again led by Edelson’s firm).
• Girardi Law: Lead proponent of a bill introduced in Illinois, which would make it easier for clients to find out if their lawyer was mismanaging client funds and give them a more direct way to recover.
• Advertising Laws: Lead proponent of new laws, prohibiting specific forms of deceptive marketing aimed at potential mass and class clients.
• Professional Objectors: Secured first ever injunction against a professional objector who was violating law in trying to leverage objections to secure inappropriate fees for himself.

• Named a “Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer” by LawDragon, 2024.
• Named a “Top 200 Lawyer in America” by Forbes Media.
• Named a “Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar” by Law360, 2014, 2021, 2023.
• Named a “Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer” in Privacy, Consumer Fraud, and Financial Litigation by LawDragon, 2023.
• Named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business”, 2022.
• Listed as the top “Class Action and Mass Tort Plaintiff’s” Lawyer in Illinois by Leading Lawyers, 2021-2022.
• Selected as an Illinois Super Lawyer in the areas of Class and Mass Actions, 2012-2022.
• Named a Litigation Trailblazer by National Law Journal, 2021.
• Named a “Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer”  by LawDragon, 2020.
• Recognized as one of “Crain’s 2019 Notable Gen X Leaders in Law” by Crain’s Chicago Business, 2019.
• Selected as a “Leading Lawyer” in the areas of plaintiff’s class and mass actions, data privacy, consumer protection, and technology law, 2016-2019.
• Recognized as one of “America’s (Mass Tort) Top Trial Lawyers.”
• Recognized as a “Cybersecurity Trailblazer” by the National Law Journal, 2016.
• Won the first ever “President’s Award” given by the Illinois Bar Foundation, 2016.
• Finalist for the 2016 World Technology Awards in the law category.
• Named one of “Chicago’s Top Ten Startup Founders over 40” by Tech.co, 2016.
• Named to The Unicorn in the Room’s “The 45 Over 45: Entrepreneurs Over Age 45 Who Are Disrupting the Way We Do Business.”
• Benchmark Litigation: Top Illinois Plaintiff class action lawyer, 2013, 2014.
• Named to Top 100 Trial Lawyers, by the National Trial Lawyers, 2013.
• Twice received official commendation from the City of Lancaster, California for “exemplif[ing] the skill of a true litigator;” first for reaching a $47 million settlement with Jiffy Lube and, second, for reaching a $9 million settlement with Netlfix.
• Named one of the top 40 Illinois attorneys under 40 by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin in 2009. In that award, Jay was heralded for his history of bringing and winning landmark cases and for his “reputation for integrity” in the “rough and tumble class action arena.” In the same award, he was called “one of the best in the country” when it “comes to legal strategy and execution.”
• Included in the American Bar Association “24 hours of Legal Rebels” program, where he was dubbed one of “the most creative minds in the legal profession” for his views of associate training and firm management.
• Presented with the Annual Humanitarian Award for his “personal integrity, professional achievements, and charitable contributions” by the Hope Presbyterian Church.
• Named a “Legal Lion” for the week for winning class certification in case against a prominent club volleyball program, alleging that the club committed fraud by concealing its history of sexually abusing teenage girls in its care.

• Appointed to Chicago’s 47th Ward Democratic Organization Judicial Recommendation Committee.
• Former adjunct professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, Privacy Litigation Seminar.
• Former adjunct professor at The Chicago-Kent College of Law, Class Action Litigation and Negotiation Seminar.
• Guest lecturer at University of Chicago Law School, Northwestern University Law School, the University of California, Hastings School of Law, Georgetown Law, University of Florida Law School, University of California at Hastings Law School, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and The John Marshall Law School on consumer, privacy, and class action issues.
• Faculty for The Sedona Conference Cooperation Training Program (Feb. 21-22, 2014) (clinical training on negotiation and cooperation techniques).
• Appointed to be the founding co-chair of the Sedona Conference’s Working Group (11) on Data Security and Privacy Liability.

• Appeared on dozens of local, national, and international television and radio programs, including The Today Show, ABC World News, Politics Nation, Your World With Neil Cavuto, Big Story with John Gibson, CNN, CBS Radio and NPR.
• Appeared in thousands of newspapers, magazines, and other publications.
• Repeat guest commentator on ABC’s award-winning podcast, “The Drop Out,” with Rebecca Jarvis.
• Numerous regional, national, and international profiles, including cover story on New Times‘ Sunday Business section, wherein the Times dubbed him tech’s “babyfaced” “boogeyman”, a profile in Fortune, and a profile in Die Ziet where he was called “der gäger im hoodie (the hunter in the hoodie)”.
• Included in Angeion Group’s “Leading Litigator” Series, where, in a 2-part interview (here and here), Jay provided expansive thoughts on his views of class action practice and law firm management.
• Featured in a PIVOT TV documentary show entitled “Data Vampires.”
• Included in PetFooled, a documentary detailing the firm’s class action suit on behalf of pet owners whose pets died as a result of contaminated pet food.
• Nicknamed the “Spam Slammer” in Chicago Sun-Times front-page cover article after reaching the first ever class action settlement for text message spam.

• Host of Non-Compliant Podcast.
• Guest on The Federalist Society Podcast, “Open Minds with Jay Edelson and James Burnham” (Jan. 9, 2025).
• Panelist at the 2024 National Lawyers Convention, “How Should the Law Discourage Tribalism, Polarization, Racism, Religious Enmity, and Antisemitism in the United States?” (Nov. 15, 2024).
• Panelist for The Freedom of Thought Project, “Working as a Conservative on the Other Side of the V” (Nov. 11, 2024).
• Panelist for NCLC’s Class Action Symposium, “Ethical Class Action Settlement Considerations” (Oct. 29, 2023).
• Panelist for ABA’s 27th Annual National Institute on Class Actions, “The Expanding World of Privacy Class Actions” (Oct.19, 2023).
• Panelist for National Association of Legal Fee Analysis Conference, “Attorney Fees in Class Actions” (June 29, 2023).
• Panelist for The Federalist Society Panel, “Discussion, Coercion, and the Pursuit of Truth” (Feb. 6, 2023).
• Panelist for Fast Company’s Innovation Festival, “The New Era of Data Privacy, From Activism to Enforcement” (Sept. 22, 2022).
• Panelist for Harvard Plaintiffs’ Law Association Event, “What Dobbs Means for Data Privacy” (Sept. 21, 2022).
• Panelist for the SandPiper Cybersecurity and Privacy Chicago Conference, “Panel 3 – Recent Cases, Investigations, Litigation & Class Actions” (June 22, 2022).
• Panelist for McDermott Will & Emery webinar, “BIPA: Where do we go from here?” (March 28, 2022).
• Key Speaker for Loyola University Chicago Journal of Regulatory Compliance 6th Annual Compliance Symposium (March 11, 2022).
• Panelist for Law Seminars International Conference, “Mass Arbitrations as a Procedural Strategy in Consumer and Employment Class Actions” (October 21, 2021).
• Panelist for Practicing Law Institute Conference, “Advanced Data Privacy, Cybersecurity and TCPA Class Action Litigation” (January 11, 2021).
• Panelist for Retail Litigation Center Virtual conference on litigation and regulatory issues facing the retail industry in 2020 and beyond (May 5, 2020).
• Panelist for TechNation: Chicago, “The Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA): The Recent Explosion of Lawsuits in Illinois and How Businesses Can Reduce Legal Risk” (Aug. 15, 2019).
• Guest Host on IAPP’s The Privacy Advisor Podcast, “100th episode special edition” (June 7, 2019).
• Guest on ATL’s Thinking Like a Lawyer Podcast, “Checking In On The Plaintiffs’ Side – A conversation with Jay Edelson” (May 23, 2019).
• Panelist for PLI’s 24th Annual Consumer Financial Services Institute, “Data Security and Privacy Issues” (May 20, 2019).
• Guest on IAPP’s The Privacy Advisor Podcast Live, “Class-Action, State Action and Litigation Trends” (May 3, 2019).
• Guest on IAPP’s The Privacy Advisor Podcast, “Jay Edelson on his $925M privacy class-action win” (Apr. 15, 2019).
• Guest on TCPAWorld Podcast, “Jay Edelson, Ringless Voicemails, Traced, and So Much More” (Mar. 29, 2019).
• Panelist for the Federal Trade Commission Hearing, “Current Approaches to Privacy” (Mar. 20, 2019).
• Panelist for the Chicago Bar Association’s Class Litigation Committee, “The Future of Cy Pres: After the Supreme Court: Perspectives from Academia, the Bar, and the Bench” (Nov. 15, 2018).
• Panelist for the ABA’s 22nd National Institute on Class Actions, “‘Never a Day Off’ Understanding and Managing Economic Risks for Lawyers on Both Sides of the v.” (Oct. 19, 2018).
• Panelist for ACI’S 30th National Forum on Consumer Finance Class Actions and Government Enforcement, “The Fair Credit Reporting ACT (FCRA) and A Matter of Standing: Demonstrating the Degree of Harm Required to Certify a Class” (July 17, 2018).
• Guest on Womble Bond Dickinson Ramble Podcast, “One Way Intervention, Marks vs. Crunch, and the Boogeyman” (July 5, 2018).
• Panelist for the IAPP Privacy Bar Section Forum, “The State of U.S. Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Litigation Today” (March 29, 2018).
• Panelist for City Club of Chicago’s “The Opioids Epidemic,” (Dec. 6, 2017).
• Panelist for Retail Industry Leaders Association’s Litigation Conference, “Strategies Concerning TCPA Claims” (Oct. 11, 2017).
• Panelist for HarrisMartin’s Smart Device Litigation Conference: Issues Arising from the Internet of Things, “IoT Risks – Theories of Liability and Defenses” (June 28, 2017).
• Panelist for ABA’s Second Annual Cybersecurity Institute Conference, “Ethics: The Cybersecure Practice of Law; Application of Privilege in the Data Security Context” (June 22, 2017).
• Guest on the IAPP’s The Privacy Advisor Podcast “50th episode edition!” (June 16, 2017).
• Panelist for Class Action Money & Ethics Conference 2017, “Implications of the Proposed Changes to Rule 23” (May 1, 2017).
• Panelist for ACI’s 15th National Forum on Cyber & Data Risk Insurance “The Changing Landscape of Cyber Liability Litigation: Data Misuse, Ransomware, Class Action Following Spokeo, and More” (March 30, 2017).
• Testified at Illinois House of Representatives’ Cybersecurity, Data Analytics & IT Committee Subject Matter Hearing on “Privacy implications and transparency issues associated with new and emerging surveillance and data collection technologies” (March 1, 2017).
• Panelist for PLI’s “Advanced Data Privacy, Cybersecurity Breach and TCPA Class Action Litigation Strategies and Defenses 2017” Conference, “Standing After Spokeo: Effects on Privacy, Security Breach and TCPA Litigation” (Jan. 20, 2017).
• Panelist for Golden State Institute’s Panel “Assessing Damages in Privacy Cases and Settlements,” (Nov. 3, 2016).
• Guest on the IAPP’s The Privacy Advisor Podcast “Jay Edelson on Spokeo, volleyball and philosophy” (Oct. 28, 2016).
• Panelist for IAPP’s “Privacy. Security. Risk. 2016” Conference, “Privacy Litigation:  Defining Privacy Harm,” (Sept. 16, 2016).
• Panelist for Georgetown Law’s 4th Annual Cybersecurity Law Institute, “Litigation Trends in Data Breaches,” (May 25, 2016).
• Panelist for Today’s General Counsel, “The Exchange” Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Forum, “The Presumption of Litigation,” (May 11, 2016).
• Panelist for The International Association of Defense Counsel’s Corporate Counsel College, “What is the Other Side Thinking,” (April 28, 2016).
• Panelist for the Privacy Bar Section of the IAPP, “Privacy Litigation,” (April 7, 2016).
• Panelist for PLI’s Defending Data Privacy, Security Breach and TCPA Class Action Suits 2016, “Advanced Issues in Class Certification and the Management of Class Action Litigation,” (January 22, 2016).
• Guest Speaker for University of Chicago Jewish Law Student’s Association’s dinner, “The Most Feared Lawyer in Silicon Valley” (January 15, 2016).
• Panelist for National Conference of Jewish Lawyers, “Privacy in the Google and Facebook Era” (August 26, 2015).
• Participant in MER’s National Conference on Managing Electronic Records, “How to Win (or Lose) Your Data Breach Class Action” (representing data breach class in mock argument before the Honorable James F. Holderman (N.D.Ill.)), (May 20, 2015).
• Guest Speaker for Shook Hardy & Bacon’s “Conversations in Privacy” Teleconference, (May 19. 2015).
• Panelist for Chicago Bar Association’s Panel, “Challenges to Class Membership: Ascertainability, Standing, and Injury,” (May 14, 2015).
• Panelist for Perrin’s Class Action Litigation Conference, “Privacy and Data Breach Issues,” (May 6, 2015).
• Panelist for the Mortgage Broker Association’s Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference, “Class Action Roundtable,” (May 5, 2015).
• Panelist for PLI’s Defending Data Privacy, Behavioral Advertising and Security Breach Class Actions Suits 2015, “Class Certification and Settlement in Data Privacy, Behavioral Advertising and Security Breach Class Actions”, (January 23, 2015).
• Panelist for Northwestern Law School Sports Seminar, “NCAA Concussion Litigation Panel” (October 24, 2014).
• Panelist for ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting, “Virtual & Digital Currencies – the Path to Legitimacy and the Need (or Not) for a Regulatory Framework for Consumer Protection” (September 12, 2014).
• Panelist for National Association of Attorneys General 2014 Spring Consumer Protection Seminar, “Data Breach and Privacy Panel” (May 19, 2014).
• Panelist for Perrin Webinar, “Sports Concussion Litigation- Latest NCAA and High School Research, Developments and Findings” (May 14, 2014).
• Panelist for Law Seminar International’s Conference on Technology Law, “Plaintiff’s Perspective on the Use of Big Data Class Actions as a Privacy and Security Enforcement Tool” (Dec. 12, 2013).
• Panelist for Law Seminar International’s Conference on Litigating Class Actions, “Evolving Issues in Privacy Class Actions” (Dec. 10, 2013).
• Panelist for Pennsylvania Bar Institute seminar, “The FCC Cracks Down on Telemarking Again. The Regulatory and Litigation Climate of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act” (Dec. 10, 2013).
• Panelist for the NCLC Class Action Symposium, “Data Privacy Class Action Session” (Nov. 10, 2013).
• Panelist for The Sedona Conference on Cyber Liability (participated in three panels:”Private Data Breach Incidents,” “Telecommunications & The Internet,” and “Pushing the Boundaries of Cyber Liability”) (Oct. 24-25, 2013).
• Panelist for NetDiligence 2013 Cyber Risk & Privacy Liability Forum – West Coast: “Data Breach Litigation Update.” (Oct. 10, 2013).
• Panelist for ABA Dispute Resolution Conference: “Getting Arbitration Back on Track.” (April 5, 2013). Panelist for PLI’s conference: “Defending Privacy and Behavioral Advertising Class Action Suits 2013: What Every Litigator and In-House Lawyer Needs to Know.” (January 22, 2013).
• Panelist discussing privacy class actions during for American Bar Association’s 16th Annual National Institute on Class Actions (October 25, 2012).
• Panelist for ITT Chicago-Kent College of Law’s “Conference on Internet Privacy, Social Networks and Data Aggregation” (March 23, 2012).
• Panelist for Chicago-Kent College of Law’s “Class Dismissed? How the Supreme Court’s Recent Decisions Have Shifted the Balance Between Individuals and Corporations” (November 2, 2011).
• Panelist for Daily Deal Media Conference 2011, Roundtable on Legal Landscape of the Daily Deal Industry (September 8, 2011).
• Panelist for Chicago Bar Association’s Committee on Cyber Law and Data Privacy, Seminar on Consumer Privacy (June 10, 2011).
• Co-chair of CLE International’s 2011 national multi-day conference on consumer class actions (May 12-13, 2011).
• Co-chair of CLE International’s 2010 national multi-day conferences on consumer class actions (June 14-15, 2010).
• Panelist for Law Seminar International’s “Trends in Federal Circuit Class Certification Rulings” (Nov. 4, 2010).
• Panelist at Decalogue Society of Lawyers’ Symposium on “Representing Celebrity Clients” (Jan. 28, 2010).
• Panelist at DePaul University College of Law & The International Institute for Animal Law’s symposium, “How Much is Fido/Fluffy Worth? Animal Valuation Issues Raised by the Pet Food Recall and Other Litigation” (Oct. 25, 2007).

• “The State of Law Schools and Their Influence on the Legal Profession,” Freedom of Thought Project, Feb. 21, 2023.
• “Post-Dobbs, Your Private Data Will Be Used Against You,” Bloomberg Law, Sept. 22, 2022.
• “Plaintiffs Bar Should Work To Raise Class Action Claims Rates,” Law360, March 7, 2022.
• “Uber’s CEO was brought down by a God complex—and that should scare the rest of Silicon Valley,” Quartz, June 23, 2017.
• “Learning The Limits (And Irony) Of Spokeo,” Law360, Dec. 12, 2016 (second author).
• “Trump’s wall misses the mark: We need a cyber wall, not a physical one,” TechCrunch, May 27, 2016.
• “Peter Thiel proves Silicon Valley only hates lawsuits when it’s the one getting sued,” Quartz, May 27, 2016.
• “Theranos exposes the perverse incentives at work in Silicon Valley,” Quartz, April 29, 2016.
• “The FBI has a Big Ulterior Motive in its Fight with Apple,” Quartz, Mar. 18, 2016.
• “Why Apple is Right to Tangle with the FBI,” Chicago Tribune, Feb. 24, 2016.
• “Pick-Offs After Campbell-Ewald: Some Predictions,” Law360, Jan. 21, 2016.
• “What’s Past is Prologue: Snowden Leaks, New Domains, Global Jockeying For Internet Governance Role Still Dominate Cyberlaw Hot Topics in 2014,” Bloomberg/BNA Electronic Commerce & Law Report, Feb. 3, 2014 (contributor).
• “Pardon the Disruption,” Thomson Reuters Legal Blog, 2013-2104.
• “The ATL Interrogatories: 10 Questions with Jay Edelson from Edelson PC,” Above the Law, Oct. 16, 2013.
• “Beyond the Ping Pong Table: Lessons for Lawyers From Startup Companies,” National Law Journal, Sept. 30, 2013.
• “End the Summer Associate Sideshow (and Start Treating Them Like the Almost-Lawyers They Are),” Bloomberg Law, Aug. 21, 2013.
• “Cyberlaw Predictions: Privacy Litigation in the United States,” Bloomberg/BNA, Jan. 2, 2013 (contributor).
• Preventing Your Daily Deals From Becoming Permanent Targets, Daily Deal Media, 2012 Daily Deal Industry Report.
• “9 Mistakes Companies Make In Defending Themselves Against Consumer Class Action Lawsuits,” Law360 (Jan. 2011).
• “Trust Young Lawyers and They Won’t Let You Down,” ABA Journal’s Legal Rebels – Remaking the Profession (Oct. 15, 2009).
• “The YouTube Generation: Implications for Medical Professionalism,” Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, Vol. 51, No. 4 (2008), pp. 517-524 (Contributor).