Alston & Bird Privacy, Cyber & Data Strategy Blog

Amanda Wellen

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About Amanda Wellen

Amanda counsels clients in high-stakes disputes nationwide in both court and arbitral forums. Aided by her background in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, as well as a federal clerkship, Amanda guides clients in a wide array of industries through key strategic choices in all phases of class action and complex commercial litigation.

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The Era of AI-Driven Data Breaches Has Arrived

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A recent lawsuit signals the rapid convergence of issues relating to artificial intelligence, vendor‑managed platforms, and individual arbitration in the data breach ecosystem.  In Woodard v. OpenAI, Inc. & Mixpanel, Inc., Case No. 3:25-cv-10301 in the Northern District of California, Plaintiffs alleged that Mixpanel uses artificial intelligence technologies developed by OpenAI to collect user data.  […]

Back from the Brink: District Court Clears Air Regarding Individualized Damages Assessment in Data Breach Cases

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On June 27, 2025, the District Court for the Middle District of Florida, on remand from the Eleventh Circuit, reversed course when it denied class certification to a group of plaintiffs who were purportedly impacted by a spring 2018 cyberattack on Brinker International, Inc., the parent company of the popular chain restaurant, Chili’s. The recent […]