CORRECTED-Data breach plaintiffs drop lawsuit against law firm Thompson Coburn, New Mexico health system

By David Thomas

Feb 11 (Reuters) - A group of health care patients is dropping a data breach lawsuit against law firm Thompson Coburn and New Mexico-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services — part of a wave of cybersecurity litigation involving major law firms in recent years.

The plaintiffs said in a filing in federal court in Missouri on Tuesday that they are dismissing their case against the St. Louis-based firm and the health system without prejudice, meaning the 2024 lawsuit could be refiled.

The proposed class action lawsuit alleged that an unknown hacker accessed information on Thompson Coburn's network in May 2024, and exposed private data including Social Security numbers and health records related to more than 300,000 people, calling the breach a "direct result" of inadequate cybersecurity protocols by the firm and Presbyterian.

The plaintiffs were a group of New Mexico residents who were current or former patients of Presbyterian. The lawsuit alleged that Presbyterian was a Thompson Coburn client and gave the firm access to patient files.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs, Thompson Coburn and Presbyterian, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the filing, which did not disclose whether they had reached a settlement. A spokesperson for Presbyterian deferred comment to Thompson Coburn, which did not immediately respond.

Law firms have faced mounting lawsuits over hacking incidents. Several big firms that have been sued over data breaches, including Gunster Yoakley & Stewart, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, have reached settlement agreements in recent years.

Thompson Coburn and Presbyterian asked a judge to dismiss the case last year. The law firm argued that the plaintiffs did not show they had actually suffered any damages, while Presbyterian argued it was a victim of the data breach. The parties said in a status report last month that they were working toward resolving the lawsuit.