Sean Griffin

Sean C. Griffin

Partner

Sean C. Griffin

Partner

  • Overview

    Biography

    Sean Griffin is an experienced litigator who has accumulated a keen knowledge of addressing clients’ complex legal issues. Whether as a business litigator or a leader in data privacy, Sean spots issues and anticipates contingencies to craft effective litigation and cybersecurity strategies.

    Sean draws upon his background as a U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney to assist clients with unique matters that intersect with the federal government, including contract claims, False Claims Act litigation, internal investigations, and subpoena responses. He has a lengthy record of looking beyond immediate challenges to prepare for and parry potential liabilities and compliance issues that pose threats to clients.

    Sean’s clients include insurance companies, defense contractors, manufacturers, and law firms, who all turn to Sean to protect and advance their interests in a wide range of disputes. Sean has prosecuted and defended complex property claims, commercial litigation and fraud cases in state and federal courts around the country. He has represented a number of government contractors in cases relating to fraud, and he has represented a political campaign in emergency injunction proceedings to regain access to voter databases.

    As an IAPP Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US), Sean helps clients establish and maintain data security, respond to data breaches, and litigate privacy cases. He works closely with each client to implement proactive and practical data protection programs tailored to their capabilities and resources. Sean is also a key member of the firms Artificial Intelligence Team, and he speaks to groups around the country about the future and implications of AI.

    Sean has often participated in prominent symposiums and spoken before prestigious institutions, presenting on a wide range of topics from insurance coverage, data security and cybersecurity litigation to government enforcement. He has been published in numerous well-known magazines and publications, ranging from For the Defense to Sports and Entertainment Beat. In addition, Sean is frequently mentioned by the press in articles relating to his professional experience, appearing in publications from Law360 to The American Lawyer.

    Sean clerked for the Honorable Judge Benson Everett Legg of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.

  • Experience
    • Professional Associations

      Professional Associations

      Insurance Coverage Law Center
      Member, Editorial Advisory Board

      Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
      Senior Director, Board of Directors
      Chair, Membership Development Committee
      Chair; Data, Breach, Privacy, and Cyber Insurance Section
      Vice-Chair, Commercial Litigation Section

      Defense Research Institute
      Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee Steering Committee
      Vice Chair, Data Privacy and Protection Working Group (2023 - present)

      International Association of Defense Counsel
      Vice Chair, Communications for the Cyber Security, Data Privacy, and Technology Committee
    • Honors + Awards

      Honors + Awards

      Presented with the 2023 Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Diversity Award

  • NEWS + PRESS
    • Publications

      Publications

      "The Data Privacy Implications of Biden’s Antitrust," published in Spiceworks (09/29/2021)

      "The PFAS and the Furious: Litigations Trends in the Fire Sciences," published in DRI's In-House Defense Quarterly (Fall 2021)

      "Legal cybersecurity challenges of NFTs and ‘smart contracts," published in Westlaw Today (07/28/2021)

      "Why selecting diverse law firms makes sense for insurers," published in PropertyCasualty360 (12/15/2020)

      "Political Cost of Data Leaks: Data Security in the Crosshairs," co-authored article published in Spiceworks (7/15/2020)

      "Thinking of a Master Plan: The Basics of Strategy in the Discovery Process," published in DRI's For the Defense (January 2020)

      "Lawyers Need to Pay Attention to Ethical Obligations Following a Data Breach," published in Legaltech News (08/09/2017)

      "The State of Data Breach Litigation and How to Avoid It," co-authored article published in ALM Law Journal Newsletters: Cybersecurity Law & Strategy Vol. 1, No. 2 (05/01/2017)

    • Presentations

      Presentations

      "ChatGPT & Digital Health: Will A Robot Take Your Desk Job?" presented as part of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel's (FDCC) “Corporate Counsel Symposium 2023” in Philadelphia, PA (10/24/2023)
      • » more info

        • ChatGPT & Digital Health: Will A Robot Take Your Desk Job?

        "ChatGPT & Digital Health: Will A Robot Take Your Desk Job?" presented by Sean C. Griffin, presented as part of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel's (FDCC) “Corporate Counsel Symposium 2023” in Philadelphia, PA (10/24/2023)

        Panelists discussed the benefits and pitfalls of ChatGPT, and how to use ChatGPT effectively as in-house counsel, as well as third party vendors using artificial intelligence (AI) to help lawyers.


      "Investigation of Insurance Fraud and Good Faith Claims Handling," as part of the National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA) Annual National Conference - "Empowering Excellence" in Columbus, Ohio (10/11/2023)
      • » more info

        • Investigation of Insurance Fraud and Good Faith Claims Handling

        "Investigation of Insurance Fraud and Good Faith Claims Handling," presented by Sean C. Griffin, as part of the National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA) Annual National Conference - "Empowering Excellence" in Columbus, Ohio (10/11/2023)

        The session covered the ins and outs of defending against insurers for breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing. Panelists discussed important tools of investigations and the critical components of Examination Under Oaths.


      "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Insurance," as part of the 2023 General Counsel Connect hosted by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) in Chicago, IL (8/29/2023)
      • » more info

        • Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Insurance

        "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Insurance," presented by Sean C. Griffin, as part of the 2023 General Counsel Connect hosted by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) in Chicago, IL (8/29/2023)

        Sean described AI’s potential benefits, and he also discussed AI’s potential to expose insurers to sloppy claims handling, bad-faith lawsuits, and government investigations. This event featured roundtable discussions on the latest legal challenges facing the industry and networking opportunities for general counsel, corporate counsel, and chief legal officers of NAMIC member companies.


      "Data Privacy and Cybersecurity: What In House Counsel Should Know," presented as part of the Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel Annual Meeting (8/3/2023)

      "The Dark Side of Technology: Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Outside Counsel Perspective," as part of the Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel Annual Meeting (8/3/2023)

      "How to Effectively Communicate After a Cyber Attack When the Attack Hits Your Law Firm and/or Client Section: Data Breach," presented as part of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) 2023 Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, CO (7/25/2023)
      • » more info

        • How to Effectively Communicate After a Cyber Attack When the Attack Hits Your Law Firm and/or Client Section: Data Breach

        "How to Effectively Communicate After a Cyber Attack When the Attack Hits Your Law Firm and/or Client Section: Data Breach," presented by Sean C. Griffin, presented as part of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) 2023 Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, CO (7/25/2023)

        Cybercrime is forever evolving and on the rise. For organizations around the globe, cyberattacks are no longer an “if” but a “when.” The program offered tips for avoiding a cyberattack, powering through an attack, and managing communications after one has occurred.


      "Objection! The Game, The Strategy, The Win, The Cost – Plan, Don’t Guess Your Way to Victory," presented as part of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) 2023 Annual Meeting in Waimea, Hawaii (July 9-14,2023)
      • » more info

        • Objection! The Game, The Strategy, The Win, The Cost – Plan, Don’t Guess Your Way to Victory

        "Objection! The Game, The Strategy, The Win, The Cost – Plan, Don’t Guess Your Way to Victory," presented by Sean C. Griffin, presented as part of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) 2023 Annual Meeting in Waimea, Hawaii (July 9-14,2023)

        Panelists covered how to identify objections in a succinct and direct manner, learning to comprehensively present arguments for and against the objection, and how to fully preserve the objection arguments for appeal.


      "The Impact and Risks of Artificial Intelligence on the Future of Insurance," presented at the 2023 DRI Insurance Coverage and Claims Institute (03/08/2023)

      "Anatomy of a Trial – Expert Witnesses," presented at the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel 2022 Annual Meeting on July 25-30, 2022 in Seattle, Washington (07/25/2022)

      "Don’t Be in the Dark: How Utility Companies Should Handle Ransomware and Other Cyber Incidents," presented at the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel 2022 Annual Meeting on July 25-30, 2022 in Seattle, Washington (07/25/2022)

      "Exposure of Canadian Companies to American Privacy Actions," presented as part of the Canadian Defence Lawyers Defending Privacy Infringement Claims in Canada Series (07/19/2022)

      "Next Level Lawyering: Is Analytic Strategy in Litigation Becoming a Key Skill for Lawyers and Their Clients?" panelist as part of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel Winter Meeting in Palm Desert, California (03/07/2022)

      "Building Your Online Brand," panelist as part of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel Winter Meeting in Palm Desert, California (03/07/2022)

      "What is Privileged? An Examination of the Erosion of the Attorney-Client and Work-Product Work Privileges," presented as part of DRI’s 2021 Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium (12/09/2021)

      "Ransomware," presented as part of California Clinical Laboratory Association’s 2021 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California (November 2-4, 2021)

      "Defending Privacy Claims in Canada – Part One," Canadian Defence Lawyers webinar (10/28/201)

      "Diversity and Inclusion," presented as part of the DRI IADC Virtual Insurance Roundtable (09/28/2021)

      "Litigation Trends & Outside Research," moderator as part of the DRI Fire Science and Litigation Seminar (09/10/2021)

      "How Lawyers Can Master & Use Twitter & Facebook," panelist for Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel discussion (06/24/2021)

      "Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack: The Lessons for Firms, Companies & The Law," Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel webinar (05/25/2021)

      "Data Privacy and GDPR: Where are We Headed?" presented as part of the FDCC 2021 Virtual Insurance Industry Institute (11/6/2020)

      "The Nuts and Bolts of Cybersecurity Litigation," presented as part of the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence’s 2020 Virtual Symposium (10/15/2020)

      "Cyber Risk: Anticipating and Managing Business Interruption Risk," panelists as part of the 24th Annual Corporate Counsel Institute in Washington, DC (03/12/2020)

    • News

      R+C in the News

      • August 1, 2023

        Sean Griffin Presented with 2023 FDCC Diversity Award

        • » more info

          Sean Griffin Presented with 2023 FDCC Diversity Award

          Business Litigation Group lawyer Sean Griffin was honored with the 2023 FDCC Diversity Award during The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel’s (FDCC) Annual Meeting on July 26, 2023 in Colorado Springs, CO. The recognition is presented annually on behalf of the entire Federation to a deserving member whose efforts during the year embody the spirit of the organization's Diversity Statement and to expanding the mandate of inclusiveness within the profession.

          In addition, Sean was among that panelists that presented the program "How to Effectively Communicate After a Cyber Attack When the Attack Hits Your Law Firm and/or Client Section: Data Breach." Cybercrime is forever evolving and on the rise. For organizations around the globe, cyberattacks are no longer an “if” but a “when.” The program offered tips for avoiding a cyberattack, powering through an attack, and managing communications after one has occurred. Sean is a Senior Director on FDCC's Board of Directors, is Chair if its Data, Breach, Privacy, and Cyber Insurance Section and is also Vice-Chair of the Commercial Litigation Section.

      R+C News Releases

      • July 20, 2023

        Robinson+Cole Welcomes Former DOJ Trial Attorney, Sean C. Griffin, as a Partner in its Growing Washington, DC Office

        • » more info

          Robinson+Cole Welcomes Former DOJ Trial Attorney, Sean C. Griffin, as a Partner in its Growing Washington, DC Office

          Robinson+Cole announces the addition of Washington, DC-based, Sean C. Griffin as a partner in the firm’s Business Litigation Group. Griffin is a litigator who draws upon his background as a U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney to assist clients with matters that intersect with the federal government, including contract claims, False Claims Act litigation, internal investigations, and subpoena responses.

          “We’re very excited to welcome Sean to Robinson+Cole,” said Rhonda J. Tobin, Robinson+Cole’s Managing Partner. “Sean is a highly regarded lawyer with complex government contracting transactional and litigation experience, and along with his privacy and data security depth he truly bolsters the firm’s extensive litigation depth. He is a terrific addition to our Washington, DC office as we continue to prioritize strategic growth in large commercial centers.” Read more in the press release.

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