Randy Edwards develops and implements multi-layered strategies to defeat, minimize, or avoid complex, high-stakes cases brought against companies. For nearly thirty years, Randy has fought for clients facing class actions and other commercial and consumer cases that present significant threats to their business. And for two decades, a significant part of his practice has been defending and advising companies facing privacy and data-security challenges, as well as those providing financial services and consumer products, technology, and services. Randy manages teams that address all aspects of client problems, from counseling on litigation risk, addressing pre-litigation disputes, and fighting lawsuits from the pleadings and through discovery, class certification, dispositive motions, trial, and appeal. He focuses on strengthening clients’ positions through close collaboration with the clients and bringing the firm’s collective strengths to bear in efficient ways. Randy believes a critical part of successful litigation is ensuring each clients’ key positions are presented in a clear, directed way.
Randy holds a CIPP/US certification by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He also has been widely recognized regularly by leading publications for his strong litigation work.
- Defended Ford Motor Company in numerous class-action lawsuits involving hundreds of thousands or millions of potential class members, including two class actions that went to trial and others that settled on favorable terms on the eve of trial. Led teams that have consistently winnowed claims over multiple phases of major cases, including obtaining dismissals, defeating class certification, and prevailing on appeals.
- Served for twenty years as counsel for a leading global payments company in class and non-class actions involving merchant and processor data-security breaches and enforcement of risk-management programs.
- Obtained a TRO and preliminary injunction on behalf of a leading national communications company against a competitor that was wrongfully accessing its computer system and taking protected data.
- Obtained dismissals on the pleadings in multiple privacy class actions for a world-leading technology company, including privacy challenges on California and other state laws.
- Obtained dismissal on the pleadings for the nation’s largest mortgage company related to alleged violations of California privacy law.
- Obtained dismissal on the pleadings for Fidelity in biometric privacy class action under California law.
- Obtained dismissal on the pleadings for an international hospitality company in California privacy class action challenging its website.
- Obtained dismissal on the pleadings for a major consumer goods company in California privacy action challenging its online payment processing practices.
- Obtained dismissal on the pleadings for a global technology company of biometric privacy class action under Illinois law and of two mass arbitration matters on same subject.
- Obtained dismissal on the pleadings for Hanwha Techwin in biometric privacy class action under Illinois law.
- Obtained dismissal on pleadings for TeamViewer in class action brought under various California laws, including California Consumer Privacy Act.
- Secured voluntary dismissals by plaintiffs in biometric privacy class actions under California law against T. Rowe Price and Vanguard.
- Defended a major financial institution in data-security class action.
- Defended a financial technology company in multiple privacy lawsuits and mass arbitration matters.
- Successfully resolved class action against a real estate brokerage company alleging violations of federal privacy law.
- Defended and successfully resolved a world-leading search company in two privacy class actions involving claims under the Wiretap Act, the Stored Communications Act, the Computer Fraud & Abuse Act, and state law. Advised the company on other privacy and complex commercial dispute issues.
- Represented a major health care provider in multiple class actions involving claims under federal privacy law.
- Resolved state enforcement investigation against a privately-owned technology company related to company’s privacy practices.
- Resolved many pre-litigation threatened California privacy actions against large and small companies.
- Defended a multinational retail corporation in privacy and other litigation disputes involving drivers that contract with the company for delivery services.
- Defended eBay Inc. in multiple class actions, including an antitrust challenge to eBay's practices and fees with respect to eBay sellers and a challenge to eBay subsidiary Bill Me Later's practices with respect to certain consumer lending activities.
- Advised multiple companies, ranging from small private companies to major public companies specializing in consumer data, regarding various issues involving privacy practices and data-security breach management.
- Defended Aon Hewitt, BlackRock, Fidelity, and Transamerica in ERISA class actions, obtaining either dismissals or favorable settlements in each case.
- Obtained dismissals in several class actions against TransUnion related to consumer reporting claims, and successfully resolved significant mass claims under California privacy law.
- Represented several leading mortgage lenders and servicers in federal and state class actions, including Multi-District Litigation Proceedings involving challenges to loan origination and servicing practices.
- Represented companies involved in marketing, valuation, and sales of private companies in defending class action challenges alleging primary and secondary liability.
- Represented and advised a leading mortgage insurer in connection with class-action litigation and other proceedings involving allegations about the mortgage servicing practices and insurance coverage disputes.
- Represented a leading financial services company in Department of Labor investigation under ERISA related to pricing issues.
- Served for over two years as national coordinating counsel jointly for two of the nation’s largest and most recognizable companies regarding pre-trial strategy related to silica litigation.
- Represented several leading consumer goods companies in class actions under state consumer-protection statutes related to marketing and sales practices.
- Represented three inventors in multimillion-dollar state-court litigation related to alleged trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, breach of contract, and other claims arising from the individuals’ invention of a multiple-file-format digital camera.
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
Court Admissions
- US District Court, Southern, Central, Northern, and Eastern Districts of California, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Illinois
- US Court of Appeals for the Seventh, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits
Education
- Northwestern University, J.D., 1995: cum laude; Associate Articles Editor, Northwestern University Law Review
- Yale University, B.A., Economics, 1992: cum laude
Honors & Awards
- Recognized by Chambers Global for Privacy & Data Security: Privacy (2026)
- Recognized by Chambers USA for Privacy & Data Security: Privacy (2025)
- Named one of the “500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers” by Lawdragon (2024-2025)
- Recognized as a “Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation in Commercial, Class Action, Consumer Protection, and Data Privacy (2023-2026)
- Recommended by The Legal 500 US for Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action - Consumer Products (2015-2017) and Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action - Automotive/Transport (2010-2011, 2015, 2017, 2020-2021)
- Recommended by The Legal 500 US for Financial Services Litigation (2013, 2018)
- Selected to the National Law Journal’s “Trailblazers - Cybersecurity & Data Privacy” list (2016)
- Named a Top Rated Class Action & Mass Torts Attorney by Northern California Super Lawyers (2016-2018)
Professional Activities
Clerkships
- The Honorable Charles E. Wiggins, US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Practising Law Institute
- Established and chaired PLI’s annual California Privacy Law program, which is one of PLI’s most highly sought after programs (2019-2025)
Recent Speaking Engagements
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2025,” Practising Law Institute (November 2025)
- Speaker, “The Regulator Perspective” and “The Outside Counsel Perspective,” California Privacy Law 2025, Practising Law Institute (November 2025)
- Speaker, “Data Privacy in Digital Advertising,” UC Law San Francisco’s STLJ x BLJ Symposium (March 24, 2025)
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2024,” Practising Law Institute (November 2024)
- Speaker, “The Regulator Perspective,” California Privacy Law 2024, Practising Law Institute (November 2024)
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2023,” Practising Law Institute (October 2023)
- Speaker, “The Regulator Perspective,” California Privacy Law 2023, Practising Law Institute (October 2023)
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2022,” Practising Law Institute (October 2022)
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2021,” Practising Law Institute (October 2021)
- Speaker, “Cyber Theft and Data Privacy Risks in the Context of Arbitration, Mediation, and Participant Information,” ACI’s 18th National Forum on ERISA Litigation (November 2020)
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2020,” Practising Law Institute (October 2020)
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2019,” Practising Law Institute (September 2019)
Related Practices
Related Industries