Phillip J. Wiese - Coblentz Law

Details

P 415.268.0502

F 415.989.1663

pwiese@coblentzlaw.com

Education

J.D., cum laude,

Northwestern University School of Law (2013)
B.S.

Northwestern University (2006)

Practices

Data Privacy & Cybersecurity

Litigation

Phillip J. Wiese advises and defends clients on complex and rapidly evolving privacy and cybersecurity matters. He works with companies in the technology, retail, and healthcare sectors to navigate legal issues involving facial recognition, biometrics, wiretapping, artificial intelligence, and website tracking technologies, and he develops practical, creative strategies to resolve high-stakes privacy disputes. Phillip is certified by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) as a Certified Information Privacy Professional for United States (CIPP/US).

Phillip counsels clients on compliance with data privacy and cybersecurity requirements, information security policies, and incident response planning. He advises clients regarding the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other U.S. state privacy laws, the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), state data breach notification statutes, and related federal and state regulations.

Phillip represents clients in federal and state courts at all stages of litigation, from early case assessment and
pre-trial strategy through trial and appeal. While he frequently resolves matters through favorable settlements, he is equally prepared to take cases to trial when the circumstances require.

Phillip maintains an active pro bono practice. His experience includes helping a transgender inmate obtain the first court-ordered sex reassignment surgery in the country and working with the ACLU to support indigent criminal defense efforts throughout California.

Prior to joining Coblentz, Phillip was an associate with Morgan Lewis in San Francisco.

Phillip is a member of the American Bar Association and serves on the Executive Committee of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Section of the San Francisco Bar Association.

Phillip earned his J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law in 2013. While in law school, Phillip served as a judicial extern for Judge Virginia M. Kendall in the Northern District of Illinois. He received his B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University in 2006.

Secured complete win for retailer in putative class action alleging privacy violations in connection with web-based tracking activity.*
Represented a video game company in mass arbitration alleging violation of the VPPA.*
Represented a technology company in a series of mass arbitrations alleging violations of BIPA and counseled the company on ongoing BIPA, CCPA, CPRA, and other privacy concerns.*
Defended a major hospital chain in a series of class action lawsuits related to a data breach.*
Won summary judgment on behalf of two technology companies in lawsuits alleging that the companies violated BIPA.*
Favorably resolved BIPA claims for smart device manufacturer.*
Counseled a sports technology company in prelitigation matters involving a potential ownership dispute.*
Successfully litigated breach of contract claims in Delaware Chancery Court on behalf of developer of conditionally active T-cell engager.*
Defended an online travel company in arbitrations alleging violations of California’s unfair business practices acts, including the Unfair Competition Law and Consumers Legal Remedies Act; handled all aspects of the arbitrations, including witness examinations and closing arguments.*
Defended technology company in restricted stock unit mass arbitrations.*
Defended a healthcare provider in California state courts against several consumer class action allegations that the company made false representations in the scope of its network.*
Represented a beer and beverage distributor against a beer supplier in a breach-of-contract action; successfully defeated anti-SLAPP claim in published court of appeal opinion.*
Represented a biotechnology company in Delaware Chancery Court trial regarding violations of non-competition clause and misappropriation of trade secrets.*
Defended residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) trustees in several class, derivative, and individual actions alleging billions in damages.*
Represented a financial services company in a series of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitrations related to broker-dealer fraud.*

*Denotes experience prior to joining Coblentz.

“A Look at New Calif. Cybersecurity, Risk Assessment Rules,” Law360 (August 22, 2025)

“No Strings Attached: Agentic AI Tests Privacy & Antitrust Boundaries,” Corporate Compliance Insights (January 15, 2025)

“2024 Year-End Recap of California Consumer Privacy Act Activity,” Health Law Scan (December 30, 2024)

“How Data Privacy Law Cases Are Evolving in UK, EU and US,” Law360 (January 18, 2024)