Lauren Tsuji
Lauren is an experienced class action litigator who defends technology clients against lawsuits involving privacy, data security, and related claims.
Lauren Tsuji represents technology companies in privacy and data security litigation and consumer class actions. She has extensive experience litigating disputes involving the Biometric Information Privacy Act, California Invasion of Privacy Act, Video Privacy Protection Act, and other state and federal privacy statutes. Lauren also helps online platforms protect free speech rights by litigating matters under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and the First Amendment. She manages all stages of civil litigation, including discovery, briefing and arguing dispositive motions, and trial preparation. Lauren has represented clients in jury trials for patent infringement, resulting in findings of noninfringement and invalidity.
Additionally, Lauren counsels clients on compliance with privacy and data protection laws, including laws addressing the collection and use of biometric data, and on issues related to government surveillance and demands for user information.
On a pro bono basis, Lauren represents survivors of domestic violence in restraining order and immigration proceedings and advocates for the privacy rights of victims and witnesses in felony domestic violence and sexual assault cases. Her pro bono practice also consists of amicus briefing, including before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Dedicated to building an inclusive, intersectional community and supporting women lawyers of color, Lauren serves as the co-chair of the Women of Color Resource Group at Perkins Coie.
Areas of focus
Education & Credentials
Education
- Stanford Law School, J.D., with pro bono distinction, 2014
- Cornell University, B.S., Urban and Regional Studies; Asian American Studies, with honors, 2011
Bar and Court Admissions
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Washington
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California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Related Employment
- DLA Piper (US), East Palo Alto, CA, Patent Litigation Associate, 2016-2017; DLA Piper/Krantz Pro Bono Fellow, 2014-2016
Clerkships
- Hon. Marsha J. Pechman, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Professional Recognition
Recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Litigation – Patent Law, 2023-2024
Impact
Professional Leadership
- Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington, Local Rules Committee
Community Involvement
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Member
- William L. Dwyer American Inn of Court, Member
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Mentor
Insights
News
Professional Experience
Privacy, Security and Class-Action Defense
Lugo v. Amazon
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Defended Amazon in putative class action alleging unlawful retention of consumers’ video rental histories under state-based analogues to Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA). Obtained dismissal of complaint based on lack of Article III standing, with court holding that mere retention of video rental histories does not constitute cognizable legal harm. 2023 WL 6241200 (W.D. Wash. Sept. 26, 2023).
Colombo v. Google and YouTube
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Defending Google and YouTube in a putative class action alleging that defendants collected biometric data through video editing tools on YouTube in violation of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
Morales v. Google
Circuit Court of Illinois, Cook County
Defending Google in a putative class action alleging that the Google Assistant collected biometric data in violation of BIPA.
Vance v. Google
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Defending Google in a putative class action alleging violations of BIPA. The proposed class comprises individuals whose photographs were allegedly compiled, without consent, into a dataset used to train facial recognition software. Obtained stay followed by dismissal on extraterritoriality grounds.
Defense of Google, Inc. in Multiple Putative Class Actions re: BIPA and Google Photos
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Circuit Court of Illinois, Cook County
Circuit Court of Illinois, Will County
Defended Google in multiple putative class actions alleging that aspects of Google Photos violate BIPA. In the first case, Rivera v. Google, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Perkins Coie obtained summary judgment victory on the grounds that the plaintiffs had not suffered an injury sufficient to establish Article III standing. Following the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit’s ruling in Bryant v. Compass, successfully resolved all claims in a favorable global settlement that is currently pending final approval.
S.A. and P.B. v. University of Washington
Superior Court for the State of Washington, King County
Defended the University of Washington in putative class action arising from an alleged data breach involving the personal information and protected health information of approximately one million patients of UW Medicine. The plaintiffs asserted multiple statutory and common law claims, including for violation of Washington’s Breach Notice Statute, Uniform Health-Care Information Act, AIDS Omnibus Act, and Release of Records for Research Act, as well as for negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of express and implied contract, and unjust enrichment. Perkins Coie achieved dismissal of all claims with statutory damages at the pleadings stage, then twice defeated class certification, after which the plaintiffs dismissed all remaining claims with prejudice.
Certain Underwriters at Lloyds, London v. Consumer-Facing Interactive Website
Court of Appeal of the State of California
Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco
Defended website in contractual indemnification dispute related to service provider’s settlement of putative class action alleging violations of California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA). Obtained defense verdict on summary judgment. Affirmed on appeal, including as to award of attorneys’ fees to website.
Intellectual Property Litigation
PTP OneClick LLC v. Avalara Inc.
Defended Avalara in a patent infringement and trade secret matter involving tax filing software.
Patent Litigation*
Represented client in district court action involving 10 patents related to semiconductor memory chips and consumer electronic products. Obtained summary judgment of invalidity as to one patent and jury verdict of invalidity or noninfringement as to three patents at trial.
Trade Secret Litigation*
Obtained summary judgment for a defendant in a case alleging misappropriation of trade secrets.
*Prior Experience
Commercial Litigation
Co-Founder v. Cloud Security Company
Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara
Defending a cloud security company in a multimillion-dollar civil fraud dispute brought by the company’s co-founder and former CEO.
*Prior Experience