Stephen Broome is a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles and New York offices and the co-chair of the firm's Data Privacy and Security Practice (Winner of Law360’s 2023 Practice Group of the Year). His practice focuses on litigating and trying complex commercial disputes in the areas of technology, finance, competition, and bankruptcy. He also represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of business torts and breach of contract actions.
Steve has been recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the nation’s “Leading Commercial Litigators,” by Law360 as an “MVP,” and by Law Dragon and Legal 500 USA as a top lawyer in the United States in multiple practice areas (including commercial litigation, privacy, and appellate). He is lead counsel for some of the world’s largest companies defending high-profile class actions and government enforcement actions, and litigating business-to-business disputes in state and federal courts and arbitration. In the data privacy space, Steve defends leading technology companies against high stakes claims concerning an array of technologies, including web-browsers, mobile apps, digital advertising, and biometric technology. The Daily Journal ranked his team’s summary judgment win for Google in the Calhoun v. Google data privacy class action as one of the Top Verdicts in 2022. He has twice been profiled by the New York Law Journal, as a Rising Star, and also as a Lawyer Who Leads By Example.
In addition to trial work, Steve is an accomplished appellate lawyer, and has successfully argued appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court, the federal Courts of Appeals, and state appellate courts. He is often brought into cases to help frame and preserve critical issues for appeal.
Steve previously served on the Board of Governors of the Los Angeles chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.
Before joining the firm, Steve served as a law clerk for Judge Richard C. Wesley of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
- Access Industries
- Alphabet
- Aon
- IBM
- IQVIA
- Match Group
- Snowflake
- The Weather Channel
- X
- Successfully defended Google in Calhoun et al. v. Google LLC, a high-profile data privacy class action in which the plaintiffs sought to recover billions of dollars on behalf of all U.S.-resident Chrome users on the basis of Google’s alleged misappropriation of Chrome users’ personal data through its third-party web services such as Ad Manager, Analytics, Embedded Maps, Fonts, and other services. The complaint asserted sixteen causes of action, including federal and state wiretapping claims, breach of contract, unfair competition, and state law constitutional and common law privacy claims. Obtained summary judgment as to all claims. The Daily Journal selected our summary judgment victory on behalf of Google in Calhoun as one of the “Top Verdicts” of 2022.
- Successfully defended industrialist Len Blavatnik in a nearly decade-long case filed by former Russian senator and oil tycoon Leonid Lebedev in the New York Commercial Division asserting claims for fraud, breach of joint venture, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty, and seeking over $2 billion in connection with the 2013 sale of TNK-BP to Rosneft. Obtained dismissal of all claims on summary judgment.
- Successfully defended IBM and its subsidiary, TWC Product and Technology—owner of The Weather Channel Mobile App—in a high-profile lawsuit brought by the Los Angeles City Attorney on behalf of the People of California in California state court alleging that TWC’s purported failure to disclose its use and sharing of users’ geolocation data for advertising and other commercial purposes violated California’s Unfair Competition Law. Following extensive discovery and TWC’s filing of motions for summary judgment, the City Attorney agreed to dismiss his claims with no penalty or admission of wrongdoing by TWC.
- Successfully defended TWC Product and Technology in Hart v. TWC, a putative class action in the Northern District of California relating to TWC’s data privacy practices. Plaintiffs alleged that TWC’s use of geolocation data for advertising violated users’ right to privacy under the California Constitution, resulted in unfair competition, and that TWC was unjustly enriched. After defeating class certification, the case was resolved on individual basis.
- Defending Twitter in multiple class actions filed in federal and state court alleging that a vulnerability in Twitter’s security systems allowed bad actors to steal Twitter users’ personal information and sell it on the dark web.
- Defending IBM against claims by Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary Lubrizol, Inc., for fraud and breach of contract relating to implementation of SAP Enterprise Resource Planning Software.
- Defending Match Group, Inc. and its affiliated dating sites (e.g. Tinder, Match.com, OKCupid, Plenty of Fish) against a mass arbitration campaign and putative class action launched by Labaton Sucharow. The Claimants allege that the dating sites use facial recognition technology in violation of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
- Defending Google in Brown et al. v. Google LLC, a high-profile data privacy class action filed by Boies Schiller and Susman Godfrey, in which the plaintiffs seek to recover billions of dollars on behalf of a class that alleges Google misappropriated users’ personal data through Google Analytics and Google Ad Manager while the users where in “private” or “incognito” mode. The complaint asserts federal and state wiretapping claims, as well as breach of contract, UCL, and state constitutional and common law privacy claims. Successfully defeated Plaintiffs’ motion to certify a Rule 23(b)(3) damages class; currently defending against a Rule 23(b)(2) injunctive relief class.
- Defended Match Group, Inc., Match Group LLC, and Tinder against a putative class of Illinois residents who claimed that Tinder’s selfie- and video-verification features failed to comply with Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Favorably resolved all claims before filing a motion to dismiss.
- Defending Aon/Healthy Paws in a putative nationwide class action asserting claims under the Washington CPA, the California UCL, and similar state deceptive practices statutes, for Healthy Paws’ alleged deception of consumers regarding the bases for pet health insurance premium increases.
- Successfully defended IBM and TWC against a putative class action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida relating to The Weather Channel App’s data privacy practices. Plaintiffs asserted claims for violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment. The court dismissed several claims on TWC’s motions to dismiss and the remaining claims before class certification.
- Defending IBM in multiple class actions by Illinois residents asserting claims under Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Plaintiffs assert multiple BIPA claims relating to IBM’s “Diversity in Faces” facial recognition project.
- Representing IQVIA (formerly IMS Health), a leading provider of health care data, services, and technology, in trade secrets and antitrust litigation against Veeva Systems.
- Successfully defended Len Blavatnik against claims of aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, and conversion, in a lawsuit filed by Magomed Magomedov that sought over $1 billion in connection with the 2013 sale of oil company TNK-BP to Rosneft. Obtained dismissal of all claims before trial.
- Represented the PAH Litigation Trust in a case asserting fraudulent transfer claims against the former owners of Physiotherapy Associates, one of the largest physical therapy providers in the U.S., for their role in structuring the leveraged buyout of the insolvent company based on false financial statements, culminating in its bankruptcy. The case was favorably resolved on the eve of trial.
- Argued on behalf of the Respondent in the 2016 Supreme Court case Sessions, Attorney General v. Morales-Santana, a case that successfully challenged sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act as unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment’s principle of Equal Protection. Steve successfully argued the appeal in the proceeding below before the Second Circuit, as well.
- Represented Chilean and Spanish construction conglomerates in a 7-year action against their former financial advisor, The Bank of Nova Scotia, for breach of contract and gross negligence relating to a botched financial model for a toll-road construction project in Chile. Argued multiple, successful appeals before the New York Appellate Division, First Department, allowing the case to proceed to trial. The case was resolved on the eve of trial.
- Represented IMS Health Incorporated in defense of multi-billion dollar antitrust claims brought by Symphony Health Solutions under the Sherman Act.
- Represented the trustee of the SNTL Litigation Trust in a complex bankruptcy dispute against JPMorgan Chase & Co. concerning operation of the chapter 11 plan.
- Represented Repsol, S.A. in various lawsuits relating to Argentina’s expropriation of Repsol’s multi-billion dollar controlling interest in YPF, S.A., Argentina’s largest oil-company.
- Represented holders of hundreds of millions of dollars of bank debt and bonds in the defunct Le Nature’s Inc., asserting claims against a major bank, accounting firms, and an equipment manufacturing company.
- Represented a sovereign wealth fund against a private equity fund manager in an ICC arbitration involving claims for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract.
- Represented a European pharmaceutical company in a complex trial against a U.S. pharmaceutical company asserting claims for fraud and breach of contract arising out of a major acquisition transaction.
- Represented the trustees of a Jersey Island-based trust in a FINRA arbitration against a major broker dealer stemming from unauthorized purchases of auction rate securities.
- Represented the debtors in possession in an adversary proceeding in bankruptcy court to prevent a major credit-card processing company from terminating its processing agreement with the debtors.
- Represented a committee of unsecured creditors against secured creditors in an adversary proceeding in bankruptcy court concerning the appropriate distribution of the debtors’ assets.
- George Washington University Law School
(J.D., high honors, Order of the Coif, 2006) - The London School of Economics
(M.Sc., honors, 2003) - The University of British Columbia
(B.A., first class honors, 2002)
- The State Bar of New York
- The State Bar of California
- United States Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals:
- Second Circuit
- Ninth Circuit
- United States District Courts:
- Southern District of New York
- Eastern District of New York
- Western District of New York
- Northern District of California
- Central District of California
- Central District of California, Bankruptcy Court
- Law Clerk to the Hon. Richard C. Wesley:
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2006-2007
- Named one of the top lawyers in the United States for Cyber Law (Data Privacy and Data Protection) by Legal 500 USA (2023, 2024)
- Winner, Law360’s Practice Group of the Year (Cybersecurity & Privacy) (2023)
- Named one of the nation’s Leading Commercial Litigators by the Daily Journal (2024)
- Named by Law360 as an “MVP” in the field of Cybersecurity & Privacy Litigation (2024)
- Named by Lawdragon as one of 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers for Commercial Litigation, esp. Data Privacy (2024)
- Named as one of the top lawyers in the United States by Law Dragon (2023)
- Awarded Daily Journal's "Top Verdicts" for his summary judgment win in Calhoun v. Google (2022)
- Named one of 30 Rising Stars by the New York Law Journal (2017).
- Named a Recommended Appellate Lawyer by Legal 500 USA (2017)
- Named one of the Lawyers Who Lead by Example Pro Bono 2016 honorees by the New York Law Journal.
- “Limiting BIPA Damages After Ill. Biometric Consent Violations,” (Law360, 2023)
- “BIPA 2023 and Beyond: What to Expect After the Rogers v. BNSF Railway Co. Verdict," (CLE, 2023)
- “Generic State Privacy Laws May Facilitate BIPA-Like Claims,” (Law360, 2023)
- “2022 Data Privacy Suits Tested New Liability Theories,” (Law360, 2023)
- "An Unconscionable Application of the Unconscionability Doctrine: How the California Judiciary is Circumventing the Federal Arbitration Act," 3 Hastings Business Law Journal 39 (2006)
- "Conflicting Obligations for Oil Exporting Nations?: Satisfying the Membership Requirements of Both OPEC and the WTO," 38 George Washington International Law Review 409 (2006)