William F. Farley

William F. "Bill" Farley is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Chicago office and member of the Data Strategy, Security and Privacy Practice Group. Mr. Farley represents businesses in complex commercial disputes covering a broad range of legal issues, including data privacy, class actions, business torts, domestic and international supply chain disputes, and commercial landlord-tenant actions. He is also an International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Certified Information Privacy Professional for the U.S. private sector (CIPP/US). Mr. Farley works with clients in industries such as banking and financial services, healthcare and life sciences, insurance, media, consumer products, information technology and transportation.

Mr. Farley's data privacy practice includes defending clients in class actions involving the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), website wiretap litigation and biometric privacy laws such as the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). He also advises clients on compliance with data privacy laws nationwide, and assists clients with responding to data breaches and other security incidents. In addition, he is an active member of the firm's Metaverse Strategy Team, advising clients on legal issues involving the metaverse and serving as an editor on the Masters of the Metaverse Blog.

Mr. Farley's litigation practice includes defending clients in mass arbitration matters, in which plaintiff's firms gather hundreds or thousands of consumer claims and assert them simultaneously as individual arbitration demands. Holland & Knight uses artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technology to defend large volumes of claims, which can number in the hundreds of thousands, at scale. Mr. Farley has significant experience using AI and automation technology to organize, evaluate and defend mass arbitration claims, as well negotiating with arbitration administrators prior to the imposition of administrative fees. His mass arbitration defense practice also includes advising clients on revising privacy policies and terms of use to address mass arbitration.

Mr. Farley helps clients resolve matters involving breach of contract, trade secret misappropriation, private shareholder rights disputes, breach of fiduciary duty and consumer fraud actions. He has also handled matters involving wills, trusts and estate disputes and is an experienced appellate lawyer at the state and federal level. In particular, Mr. Farley has handled matters before the Illinois Appellate Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

In addition to his comprehensive trial and arbitration capabilities, clients rely on Mr. Farley for creative and practical solutions and strategies to resolve disputes before litigation whenever possible. He employs a business-minded approach, and enjoys learning about his clients' industries, short-term and long-term goals and concerns. This allows Mr. Farley to play an advisory role by keeping clients informed of emerging trends in their industries, in effort to avoid potential litigation in the future or reduce liability exposure.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Farley was a judicial clerk for the Honorable Joy V. Cunningham in the Illinois Appellate Court.

Mr. Farley also maintains an active pro bono practice. His notable representations include being a member of the Chicago pro bono team who helped a Togolese refugee gain asylum in the United States.