In a high-stakes legal showdown, Marshall & Melhorn LLC, an Ohio-based law firm, has made a formidable move to quash a consolidated proposed class action related to a 2021 ransomware attack. The firm contends that potential class members lack the grounds to assert claims, including negligence and unjust enrichment, as they have failed to demonstrate “concrete harm.”
Marshall & Melhorn : The Legal Gambit
Marshall & Melhorn took its decisive step for dismissal on Thursday, precisely four months after the lead plaintiffs, Mark Hendrix and Kaitlyn Thiel, initiated their class action suits in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. While Thiel has been able to assert standing on some of her claims, Hendrix has faltered, according to the firm.
Hendrix’s legal offensive was launched in the aftermath of Marshall & Melhorn’s disclosure of the data breach, which occurred during August and September 2021 and impacted over 27,000 clients. In his 24-page complaint, Hendrix described the perpetual fear gripping him and fellow victims as identity thieves plundered their names, addresses, social security numbers, financial data, passport information, and even medical records.
