Blaine C. Kimrey

Blaine Kimrey is Chair of the firm’s Privacy, CyberSecurity & Media group.

He helps major media organizations, technology platforms, financial institutions, health care providers and companies of all types efficiently and strategically defend against consumer class actions and other complex litigation. Known for his exceptional track record, Blaine has avoided class certification or a final adverse judgment in more than 100 putative class actions nationwide, achieving dismissals or favorable resolutions under statutes such as CIPA, IRPA, BIPA, TCPA, FDCPA, CFAA and other privacy and consumer protection laws.

In addition to class action defense, Blaine represents clients in a wide range of matters involving data privacy, cybersecurity, advertising, online content, telecommunications, and digital marketing. His litigation experience also includes intellectual property, defamation, right of publicity, trade secret, insurance coverage, and environmental and toxic tort disputes. He regularly advises companies on data breach response, media liability, and content-related regulatory issues, and provides prepublication and prebroadcast review to help clients reduce exposure while maintaining creative freedom and business agility.

A former journalist for two daily newspapers, Blaine brings sharp investigative instincts, clear communication, and strategic focus to his practice. He is known for identifying risks early, resolving disputes quietly and cost-effectively, and keeping business priorities at the forefront. He frequently conducts internal investigations and works with agencies including the FBI, FTC, FCC, and various state attorneys general, offering pragmatic guidance grounded in both legal and operational realities.

Blaine also is deeply committed to professional development and public service. He recently led Vedder’s Privacy, Media & Cybersecurity group in a comprehensive update to the Actual Malice Practice Guide, published by the Media Law Resource Center—the first update to the guide in nearly two decades. In addition, he has served on the Chicago Bar Foundation Board of Directors and received the Award for Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Experience

• Numerous dismissal and summary judgment victories for TV news stations, newspapers, business journals, websites, mobile marketers, broadcast networks, film and entertainment companies.
• As lead counsel, defended and successfully resolved numerous putative class actions nationwide against publicly traded company related to alleged consumer harm arising out of state licensure issues.
• Subject matter expert on design, construction, and maintenance of levees in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, interfacing with insurance company consortium.
• As lead counsel, defended and successfully resolved numerous TCPA putative class actions nationwide against one of the world’s largest fax broadcasters.
• Participated in team defending against insurance contingent commission inquiries and related litigation nationally.
• Led hundreds of data security incident responses involving ransomware, phishing, hacking, and various other forms of illegal computer network infiltration and theft of data.
• Currently defending defamation, Daniel’s Law, CIPA, Colorado PTFA, and various other putative class action cases in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey and Washington.
• Since 1998, appearance as lead counsel in cases in more than half of the states in the U.S.