Sean G. Wieber
Partner
Co-Chair, Global Privacy & Data Security Practice
Sean focuses his practice on a variety of complex commercial and class action litigation matters. As co-chair of Winston’s Global Privacy & Data Security and Regulated Personal Information (RPI) practices, Sean serves as national privacy litigation counsel for many of the world’s most recognizable companies—whether publicly traded, privately owned or private equity backed—and their respected brands across a variety of major industry sectors, including: technology, financial services, consumer goods, retail, insurance, telecommunications, pharmaceutical and life sciences, automotive, real estate, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrency.
Key Matters
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
Sean has successfully represented clients in high-stakes litigation, including on appeal. He has resolved cases with motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, favorable trial verdicts, and no-cash settlements, and he has won appeals on behalf of his clients, including in the Supreme Court of Illinois.
He holds the rare distinction of having represented three sitting or former governors of Illinois. Most recently, he represented former Governor James R. Thompson in a federal civil rights retaliatory discharge case stemming from Mr. Thompson’s time as Chairman of the Illinois Sports Facility Authority, in which all claims were dismissed with prejudice. Before that, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan appointed Sean to serve as a Special Assistant Attorney General to defend Governor Rod Blagojevich in a federal civil rights conspiracy lawsuit related to Mr. Blagojevich’s exercise of his gubernatorial line-item veto power (the defense demonstrated legislative immunity and was granted summary judgment). Earlier in his career, Sean assisted Governor George H. Ryan’s trial and appellate defense teams tasked with fighting a federal indictment alleging multiple crimes, including charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and fraud related to Mr. Ryan’s tenure as Illinois Secretary of State and Governor.
Sean also holds the very unique distinction of having been appointed twice as a Deputy Special Prosecutor by the Circuit Court of Cook County to assist Winston's Co-Executive Chairman Dan Webb in two extremely high-profile cases: (1) Matter of the Death of David Koschman, and (2) People of the State of Illinois v. Jussie Smollett. At the conclusion of the Koschman matter, former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s nephew, Richard Vanecko, pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. In Koschman, Sean was instrumental in overseeing the Special Grand Jury, obtaining the indictment and drafting a public report detailing deficiencies by police and prosecutors in their previous handling of the case. The Chicago Sun-Times described the conviction as a “stunning” and “remarkable” achievement accomplished by a Winston Special Prosecutorial team with “ferocious talent and tenacity.” As to the Smollett matter, Sean led an all-encompassing independent Special Grand Jury investigation to determine whether Mr. Smollett should be further prosecuted for the false reports he made to police, and also whether any person or office involved in the celebrity’s original criminal case engaged in any wrongdoing. Relatedly, at the multi-week trial of Mr. Smollett, Sean co-led the State’s case—which played out in the public eye, garnering national media coverage. Ultimately, the jury found Mr. Smollett guilty of multiple felonies for lying to police about an alleged hate crime of which he claimed to be the victim, but instead it was all an elaborate hoax planned by Mr. Smollett himself. The results of the Winston Special Prosecutorial team in Smollett were lauded throughout the legal community as not only demonstrating Winston’s strength as trial lawyers, but also showcasing the Firm’s superior commitment to maintaining the integrity of the justice system.
In a follow-on suit civil suit stemming from the Koschman matter, Sean represented Winston & Strawn and Dan Webb in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) dispute over records related to the firm’s work as special prosecutor in the case. Sean argued the case before the Supreme Court of Illinois and Appellate Court and prevailed at all levels.
For a number of years, Sean has also represented Morgan Stanley, Chicago Parking Meters, LLC, and Chicago Loop Parking, LLC, in a variety of successful negotiations, arbitrations, and litigation matters derived from two long-term public-private partnership concession agreements that these entities entered into with the City of Chicago.
He represented Ernst & Young in one of the largest auditor liability cases that ever went to trial. Following public disclosure of a multibillion-dollar financial statement fraud, HealthSouth Corporation sued its former auditor for breach of contract and negligence. After five years of discovery and an arbitration trial that lasted nearly two years, the panel ruled in Ernst & Young’s favor on all claims.
Sean also served as the lead negotiator for his client, a California law corporation, which was ensnared in high-profile litigation commenced by the Illinois Attorney General. He successfully procured a resolution of the matter by negotiating a first-of-its-kind consent decree entered into by all parties that resulted in a full release of any and all claims, as well as no admission as to fault, liability, or wrongdoing on behalf of his client.
Notably, Sean also has vast experience defending class action claims stemming from the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including negotiating several favorable settlements for his clients in light of these statutes’ draconian damages provisions.