When one of the most devastating cyberattacks in U.S. history targeted 22 million current and former federal employees, job applicants, and their family members’ information last year, AFGE stepped up to the plate.
After a failed response from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), AFGE was the first organization to file a class-action lawsuit against the federal government in response to the breach.
“We refused to sit idly by while OPM failed to comply with the most basic requests for information or provide an adequate response,” said AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr.
To date, at least 18 other lawsuits have been filed.
In October, the courts consolidated all of the lawsuits and AFGE’s lawyer was selected as the lead counsel.
Daniel Girard, managing partner of Girard Gibbs in San Francisco, will represent everyone whose personal information was stolen during the two data breaches into OPM’s personnel and background investigation files. As lead counsel, Girard will lead a committee with other assigned attorneys. Girard has vast experience with cases involving cybersecurity attacks and data breaches and served as one of the lead attorneys in a class action brought on behalf of Sony Pictures Entertainment employees following a cyberattack.
“AFGE was out in front representing the interests of the 22 million people affected,” Cox said. “It’s only fitting that the attorney handling our lawsuit serve as the lead counsel for everyone who has been victimized by the government’s failure to protect their personal information.”