Erin Bolan Hines

Vice Chair, Emerging Data Privacy Trends

Erin concentrates her practice on biometric privacy, class action and complex litigation, business litigation, and privacy and data security. 

Clients seek out Erin for her ability to deal with the complicated and rapidly changing technical and legal landscapes governing the collection, use, storage, and disposal of sensitive corporate and consumer information. In particular, Erin has experience representing employers and timekeeping technology providers in Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) litigation. Erin represents clients nationwide in privacy and data-related class actions, “mass” and individual arbitrations, and individual litigation in federal and state courts, including BIPA, Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA),  the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), and claims involving pixels, cookies, and website analytics. She also is at the forefront of defending litigation based on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and currently is defending clients in AI-based class actions. Erin also provides privacy-related compliance counseling and regulatory advice. An astute litigator, Erin also focuses on the long-term goals of her clients and provides compliance counseling.

Prior to joining the firm, Erin was a partner at an Am Law 200 firm, where she was an essential part of the firm's Biometric Privacy practice, securing landmark wins that have influenced cybersecurity and privacy legislation and litigation. Before that, she was counsel with an Am Law 100 firm.

Erin presents and comments regularly on the topic of BIPA litigation in various panels, forums, podcasts, journals, and news outlets, having argued significant BIPA appeals to date before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. In her pro bono practice, she has represented clients seeking asylum status under the Violence Against Women Act, and obtained legal status for several women faced with deportation, helping to keep them and their children safe from their abusers.

Erin earned her J.D. from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she was an articles editor for the Loyola Consumer Law Review. She earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Experience

News

Leading Lawyers Network Recognizes 19 Cozen O’Connor Lawyers as Top Illinois Practitioners

March 05, 2024

Ira Bodenstein, Jack Carriglio, Janet Davis, John Dunn, Mitch Edlund, Wendy Enerson, Gary Gassman, Tia Ghattas, Jeremy Glenn, Erin Bolan Hines, Mark Rabinowitz, Peter Roberts, Brian Shaw, Joseph Tilson, Julie Trester, Peter Valeta, Anna Wermuth, and Brian Williams were recognized as Leading Lawyers, Christina Sanfelippo was recognized as an Emerging Lawyer.

7 Things to Include in a Workplace Generative AI Policy

November 13, 2023

Janice Sued Agresti and Erin Bolan Hines were quoted in an HRDive article discussing items that human resource professionals should include in an employer’s generative AI policy.

Cozen O’Connor Adds Two of the Country’s Leading Data Privacy Litigators to its Commercial Litigation Practice Group

March 06, 2023

Melissa A. Siebert and Erin Bolan Hines — data privacy litigators with renowned track records of successfully defending employers and technology enterprises entangled in major data privacy class actions and appellate cases — to its award-winning Commercial Litigation Practice Group.

Hard Time Fighting Back: Employers Seek Defenses vs. Rising Biometrics Class Actions, Emboldened Settlement Demands

February 22, 2022

Erin Bolan Hines was quoted in a Cook County Record article discussing the BIPA statute of limitations debate and why some defense lawyers are trying to stave off settlements.

7th Circ. Further Clarifies Standing Of Biometric Privacy Suits

November 18, 2020

Erin Bolan Hines was quoted in a Law360 article discussing the Dakkota Integrated Systems case, which The Seventh Circuit remanded so the district judge could address the 15(a) claim likely preempted by the LMRA.

Publications

Illinois BIPA Reform 2024 – Back Where We Started or Moving Forward? [Alert]

April 19, 2024

Erin Bolan Hines and Melissa Siebert discuss the Illinois Senate passing the first significant BIPA amendment (SB 2979) and how it may affect ongoing litigation.

A Big Win For BIPA's Health Care Exclusion [Alert]

December 01, 2023

Erin Bolan Hines and Melissa Siebert discuss the Illinois Supreme Court in Mosby v. Ingalls Memorial Hospital, et al., and Mazya v. Northwestern Memorial Health.

BIPA Reform Bill Introduced in Illinois Senate [Alert]

May 19, 2023

On Friday, May 19, the Illinois Senate submitted a BIPA reform bill as part of HB3811.

Events & Seminars

Past Events

Data Privacy in the Employment Context

June 21, 2023 - Webinar

Education

  • Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D., 1998
  • University of Wisconsin, Madison, B.A., 1991

Awards & Honors

Harry L. Kaplan Rainmaker Award, 2021

Leading Lawyers Network, Top Illinois Practitioner, 2024 

  • Illinois
  • U.S. District Court -- Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court -- Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court -- Southern District of Illinois
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

Chicago Coalition of Women's Initiatives in Law, Board of Directors