Ransomware (extortion): Law firm and notary’s office, USA 2020
In May 2020, the REvil group attacked the law firm, which specialises in celebrities, and claimed to have captured 756 GB of client data.
- Incident · 05.2020 · New York, USA
- Evidence: several media
- Ransomware (extortion)
- Data breach
As of
What happened
It first demanded 21 million dollars and, after the firm refused, 42 million, and published 2.4 GB concerning a celebrity client. The firm stated that it did not intend to pay; the FBI was involved.
- Affected
- Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks
- Industry
- Law firm and notary’s office
- Loss
- no reliable figure
- Business interruption
- unknown
- Ransom demanded / paid
- yes / no
- Data affected
- true
- Bankruptcy
- no
- Entry point
- not stated in the sources
What would cyber insurance have paid?
That depends on the terms. Whether those affected were insured: unknown.
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Help and negotiation; only some insurers pay the ransom, see note
Mostly add-on 6 of 9 business products cover it fully, as an add-on or with limits.
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Third-party claims after a data breach
Liability for data protection and network security breaches
Mostly covered 7 of 9 business products cover it fully, as an add-on or with limits.
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Letters, call centre, credit monitoring
Mostly covered 6 of 9 business products cover it fully, as an add-on or with limits.
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Loss of income because customers stay away after the incident
Mostly no information 1 of 9 business products cover it fully, as an add-on or with limits.
Overview based on public policy terms, as of 06.11.2026. Only your policy and its general terms and conditions (GTC) are binding. No confirmation of cover.
What we can learn
For law firms, the loss of clients’ trust is often more expensive than restoring the IT.
Sources
- Celeb Law Firm Refuses Hacker Ransom as Lady Gaga Files Leak (opens in a new window) Rolling Stone · 2020-05
- Law firm hacked, clients include Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen (opens in a new window) Variety · 2020-05