Christopher J. Seusing

Chris Seusing is the managing partner of WSHB’s Boston, MA and Westport, CT offices. He also leads the firm's national Cybersecurity & Data Privacy team. With more than 15 years of collective experience in cyber, professional and management liability areas, Chris represents companies and professionals in complex litigation matters around the country. He counsels clients on responding to data breach incidents and regulatory inquiries and investigations, oversees forensic investigations of incidents, drafts information management policies and procedures in compliance with privacy regulations, and collaborates with case teams to implement cost-effective processes using state-of-the-art litigation tools, including analytics and technology-assisted review.

Chris leads WSHB’s National Cyber Incident Team which is available 24/7 to respond to cyber incidents and suspected data breaches, and is part of an international legal team focused on data protection and cybersecurity which is regularly called upon by public and private entities to navigate emerging challenges. He is well-regarded for his real time knowledge based on best practices which dovetails into his sage counsel on risk management, mitigation and claim avoidance. Additionally, Chris is a published thought leader, guest lecturer at law schools, and sought after speaker on cybersecurity, data privacy and litigation issues.

• Dismissal of data breach class actions on behalf of one of Florida’s largest healthcare providers.

• Represent healthcare providers in California data breach class actions related to ransomware attack on national IT company.

• Breach coach for municipalities in response to data breach of global software company effecting over 1.6 million individuals.

• Coordinate responses to ransomware attacks on behalf of manufacturers, construction companies and professional services firms, including negotiation of ransom, consultation with law enforcement, and remediation of affected systems.

• Defense of healthcare providers in data breach investigations by state attorney general offices.

• Coordinate responses to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights investigations into HIPAA violations on behalf of medical professionals and healthcare facilities.

• Defense of IT providers in tech E&O litigation related to ransomware attacks and compromised computer systems.

• Breach coach for financial advisors involving compromised email accounts and defense of investigations involving state insurance regulators.

• Provide insurance coverage opinions to cyber carriers regarding interpretation and application of cyber insurance policies to various cyber incidents.

• Breach coach for accounting firms compromised with malware, coordinating forensic investigation and notification of affected individuals.

• Perform risk assessments for retailers, online merchants, and international organizations for compliance with the CCPA, CPRA, and other data privacy statutes.

• Breach coach for large medical laboratory compromised by employee W-2 tax fraud.

• Facilitate international transfers of data for insurance companies involved in litigation pursuant to international data privacy regulations.

• Breach coach for medical office loss of patient data and coordination of response to affected individuals.

Education

• Suffolk University Law School (J.D., 2006, cum laude)
• Stonehill College (B.A., 2001, cum laude)

Licensed to Practice in

• New York
• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
• U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
• U.S. District Court, District of New Hampshire
• U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
• U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit 
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit

News

Events, Seminars & Speaking Engagements

• Panelist: "Name, Shame & Future Claims: How Threat Actors Are Using Triple Extortion to Get Paid,” RSA Conference Webinar, February 15, 2024
• Panelist, “The Scoping Call: A Triage Guide for Handling Cyber Claims,” National Conference of Insurance Guaranty Funds Webinar, November 6, 2023
• Moderator, “Does Cyber Insurance Actually Cover Anything?” InfoSec World Conference, Florida, September 24, 2023

• Panelist: “Alternate Realities of the 2023 Cyber Marketplace,” USI Insurance Services Webinar, August 2, 2023

• Podcast Guest: “Beyond the Hacks: Unveiling the Strategies and Technologies Shaping Cybersecurity,” Experian + Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP Podcast, July 19, 2023

• Moderator: “Courtroom Code: Navigating the Litigation Risks of AI and the Metaverse,” International Association of Defense Counsel Annual Conference, July 11, 2023

• Guest Lecturer: “Cybersecurity/Privacy Pre-Breach Expert Panel,” Baylor Law School, June 5, 2023

• Panelist: “Take a Walk on the Wild Side: Cyber Liability Claims Trends,” RSA Conference, San Francisco, April 25, 2023
• Interview: Information Security Media Group, RSA Conference, San Francisco, April 25, 2023
• Panelist: “We’ve Been Attacked! A Cyber Incident Response Team Tackles Tough Questions,” Southeast Region Insurance Guaranty Associations Conference, Philadelphia, March 30, 2023
• Panelist: “Cyber Liability Claims Trends,” PLUS Cyber Symposium, New York City, February 14, 2023
• Podcast Guest: “2023, A Cyber Threat Odyssey,” Experian + Wood Smith Henning & Berman, LLP Podcast, January 10, 2023
• Panelist: “Best Practices for Managing Breach Reporting Deadlines,” CLM Cyber Conference, Washington, D.C., November 3, 2022
• Panelist: “The Threat is Real: Managing Cyber Risks of Third-Party Vendors,” CLM Cyber Conference, Washington, D.C., November 2, 2022
• Panelist: “Evolving Cybersecurity Threats to the Construction Industry,” CLM Construction Conference, San Diego, CA, September 22, 2022
• Panelist: “Cyber Insurance Market Trends and Risk Challenges,” CLM Cyber Conference, New York City, December 2, 2022
• Panelist: “Cyber Insurance 101: Insured or Not Insured? That is the Question,” New Jersey Cyber Fireside, September 8, 2022
• Panelist: “The Latest Trends in D&O Litigation in the Life Sciences Industry,” USI Insurance Services Webinar, June 29, 2022 
• Moderator: “Cyber Liability Claims Trends,” 10th Annual Cyber Liability Insurance ExecuSummit, March 22, 2022
• Panelist for Premier Session 2: "Ransomware and Digital Extortion: The New Normal," CLM Construction Conference, September 23, 2021
• Moderator: “Cyber Liability Claims Trends,” 9th Annual Cyber Liability Insurance ExecuSummit, May 11, 2021
• Panelist: “Cybersecurity & Privacy in the New Normal: Post-2020 Election, Covid-19, & Beyond,” PwC webinar, November 19, 2020
• Panelist: “Employee Privacy Developments: 2020,” Allied World Insurance Company, November 12, 2020
• Panelist: "Cyber Liability Review," EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants' Best Practices Forum, Chicago, IL, September 4, 2019
• Panelist: Cyber Issues, "The Internet of Things Symposium" at Suffolk Law School, Boston, MA, October 4, 2018
• "Navigating New Data Security Regulations," USI Insurance Services Webinar, May 1, 2018
• Guest Lecturer: "e-Discovery and Cyber Issues in Litigation," Suffolk University Law School, Boston, MA, March 2018
• Guest Lecturer: e-Discovery Course, Pace University Law School, White Plains, New York, November 2016 and November 2017

• "Cyber Security Risks: Aftermath of the Equifax Breach and Why Cybersecurity is Important," Association of Certified e-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), Boston, MA, October 4, 2017

• Panelist: "Demystifying Technology-Assisted Review" (Allied World Insurance Panel Counsel Summit, Hartford, CT, May 2017
• “Cyber Risks & Human Factors – Effective & Defensible Processes," Westchester/Southern Connecticut Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, White Plains, NY, April 20, 2017
• Panelist: "Corporate e-Discovery in the Modern Era" (Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists, New England Chapter, Boston, MA, May 2015
• Presenter: "Event Data from Automobile Electronic Control Modules," CLM Transportation Conference, Cleveland, OH, June 2013

Publications

• "CLM Leading out Loud Cyber," CLM Magazine, December 2022
• Co-Author, “Data Privacy Comes Into Focus,” CLM Magazine, September 13, 2021
• Co-Author, "First Cybersecurity Enforcement Action Filed by the New York State Department of Financial Services," WSHB Client Alert, August 3, 2020
• "WSHB Welcomes Cybersecurity Partner in New York," The Cybersecurity Law Report, May 9, 2018
• “New Data Protection Regulations to Reach US Companies,” ACC Docket, June 30, 2017
• Electronically Stored Information (ESI) Case Law Update (2017, 2016, 2015, and 2013)
• "Punitive Damages Based on Gross Negligence," Product Liability Newsletter, (June 2013 and December 2013)

Memberships

• New York State Bar Association
• New Hampshire Bar Association
• Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
• Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association