Our Team

William S. Consovoy

Consovoy McCarthy’s founding partner, Will Consovoy, passed away on January 9, 2023. He was surrounded by his family. He will be missed by all who knew him to be a great lawyer and a better friend.

“Most of the legal community knows of Will because of his brilliant analytical mind. With good reason. He was an exceptionally skilled writer and among the top advocates of his generation. And he was widely respected throughout the legal world for his unique skill as a litigation strategist,” said Tom McCarthy, co-founder of the firm. “But to those lucky enough to count him as a friend, Will was so much more than that. He had a huge heart and was the most loyal of friends. Always putting others’ interests before his own, Will went out of his way to help a friend or family member in need. He loved to make other people smile—and loved even more to make them laugh. It is his love, loyalty, and laughter that we will miss most of all.”

Will’s impact on the law was enormous. A graduate of Monmouth University and George Mason’s Antonin Scalia Law School, Will clerked in Arlington County Circuit Court and for the Honorable Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit before clerking for the Honorable Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court. Following his clerkships, Will worked at Wiley Rein, where he was instrumental in litigating Supreme Court cases challenging the University of Texas’s use of race in admissions (Fisher v. Texas) and Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (Shelby County v. Holder).

In 2014, Will left Wiley Rein with Tom to start Consovoy McCarthy PLLC. There he spearheaded landmark lawsuits against Harvard College and the University of North Carolina, both of which were argued in the Supreme Court this fall. At Consovoy McCarthy, Will represented businesses large and small, numerous states and local governments, non-profit organizations, individuals seeking fair and just treatment, and a sitting President of the United States. During that time, Will personally argued two Supreme Court cases, Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins and Evenwel v. Abbott.

Under his watch and steady guidance, the firm grew from two lawyers to more than 20 in eight years. Will believed passionately in providing every client the highest quality representation, no matter the forum. And he believed just as passionately in providing opportunities for young lawyers to gain experience; during his time at the firm, five other Consovoy McCarthy attorneys argued in the Supreme Court and a sixth will argue next month.

“Will insisted that the lawyers he hired be given every opportunity to improve themselves,” said his friend and law partner, Patrick Strawbridge. “He was the most loyal and decent person I knew. He cared about those around him more than he did about himself, and nothing made him happier than to see the ones he loved having a good time—whether it was at an oral argument, a football game, a blackjack table, a Springsteen concert, or the beach.”

Consistent with his Jersey roots, Will was an ardent fan of the Philadelphia sports teams, especially the Philadelphia Eagles, and perhaps an even bigger fan of Bruce Springsteen. Among his happiest moments was attending Super Bowl LII to see the Eagles beat the Patriots. He was a devoted uncle to his niece, Lila, who he often referred to as “his favorite person in the world.”

Will married the love of his life, Masa Anisic, in 2020. She died in April 2021 following a brief battle with cancer.

Will is survived by his father, Andrew Consovoy; his mother, Linda Whalen; his stepfather, Bernie Whalen; his sister, Amanda Consovoy; and his niece, Lila.

Thomas R. McCarthy

Partner
tom@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. McCarthy assists clients with a wide array of issues in federal district and appellate courts across the country. He represents clients in cases involving constitutional issues, interpretation and enforcement of federal statutes, administrative law, civil rights disputes, and a variety of other civil litigation issues. He also represents clients in matters before and involving various federal agencies. Mr. McCarthy recently argued before the Supreme Court of the United States in Birchfield v. North Dakota. Mr. McCarthy is a former law clerk to Judge David B. Sentelle of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Judge Frank W. Bullock, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Since 2011, Mr. McCarthy has been the co-director of the Supreme Court Clinic at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, where he also is the co-director of the Administrative Law Clinic. Mr. McCarthy earned his B.S. from the University of Notre Dame, where he was a Notre Dame Scholar, and his J.D. magna cum laude from George Mason University School of Law. Mr. McCarthy is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia bars.

Patrick Strawbridge

Partner
Patrick@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Strawbridge provides clients with advice and representation at the pre-litigation, trial, and appellate stages. He has represented a broad range of individual and institutional clients on matters of constitutional law, financial and securities regulation, environmental laws, complex commercial disputes, and consumer protection statutes. His experience includes arbitrations, trial and appellate litigation, and administrative and regulatory proceedings.

Mr. Strawbridge served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Judge Morris Sheppard Arnold of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and Justice Howard Dana of the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine. Previously, Mr. Strawbridge was a partner at two large international law firms. He worked as a newspaper reporter for four years before attending law school. Mr. Strawbridge is an adjunct professor for the Supreme Court Clinic at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.

Mr. Strawbridge earned a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri, and his J.D. summa cum laude from Creighton University School of Law. Mr. Strawbridge is a member of the Maine and Massachusetts bars.

Jeffrey M. Harris

Partner
jeff@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Harris is an experienced litigator who focuses on constitutional, appellate, and regulatory matters. He has particular expertise in matters involving the First Amendment, civil rights, and challenges to federal agency actions. He has presented oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court, eight federal circuit courts, and numerous federal and state trial courts.

Before joining Consovoy McCarthy, Mr. Harris served as Associate Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). In that role, he was second in charge of the 50-person office within the Executive Office of the President that reviews all significant federal regulatory actions and coordinates regulatory policy across the federal government. Before his government service, Mr. Harris was a partner at Bancroft PLLC and Kirkland & Ellis LLP. In 2015, he was named to the Legal Times list of "D.C.'s Rising Stars," which identified "some of the most accomplished young attorneys in the D.C. area."

Mr. Harris served as a law clerk to Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Judges David Sentelle and Laurence Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and Georgetown University. In addition to his legal practice, he is an adjunct professor in the Supreme Court and Administrative Law Clinics at the Antonin Scalia Law School and held a presidential appointment to the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States from 2018 to 2022.

J. Michael Connolly

Partner
mike@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Connolly is an experienced litigator who represents clients in regulatory, constitutional, and appellate matters throughout the country. He has served as lead counsel in numerous high-profile cases raising novel constitutional and statutory issues. He has argued in the Supreme Court of the United States, as well as numerous federal circuit courts, federal trial courts, and state courts.

Mr. Connolly has particular expertise litigating cases involving the First Amendment, challenges to federal agency actions, SEC whistleblower awards, and civil rights. In addition to his legal practice, he is the Director of the Free Speech Clinic at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, where his clinic defends the First Amendment rights of individuals and organizations.

Mr. Connolly is a former law clerk to Judge Jerome A. Holmes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Mr. Connolly earned his J.D. from New York University School of Law and his B.A., with distinction, from the University of Kansas. He is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia bars.

Tyler Green

Partner
tyler@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Green helps clients litigate constitutional, statutory, and regulatory issues in courts and agencies throughout the country. Before joining the firm, he served as the Solicitor General of the State of Utah for five years. In that role, he oversaw all civil and criminal appellate matters in which the State of Utah or its officers or agencies were a party. While serving as solicitor general, he successfully argued cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and the Utah Supreme Court. He also led the Utah Attorney General office’s multistate litigation efforts, both challenging and defending regulatory actions by the federal government and other states. And he oversaw the division of the Utah Attorney General’s office responsible for defending cases challenging the constitutionality of state law. Before his service to the State of Utah, Mr. Green was Deputy Chief Counsel for Litigation at the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center. He began his career at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s Washington, D.C. office, where he litigated a variety of appellate and trial-court cases. Mr. Green served as a law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas at the U.S. Supreme Court, to Judge Michael McConnell at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and to Judge Paul Cassell at the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. He earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Utah. At the College of Law, he served as Editor in Chief of the Utah Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif and first in his class. He currently serves on the Utah Supreme Court’s advisory committee for the Utah Rules of Appellate Procedure and has been named one of Utah’s Legal Elite by Utah Business magazine.

Taylor Meehan

Partner
taylor@consovoymccarthy.com

Ms. Meehan represents clients in all phases of litigation, with a focus on constitutional litigation and appellate matters. She has assisted clients on a broad range of matters, including those involving constitutional issues, the interpretation of federal statutes and regulations, contractual disputes and other complex commercial issues.

In 2021, Ms. Meehan was appointed by the United States Supreme Court to brief and argue Patel v. Garland. Ms. Meehan has also served as a court-appointed amicus curiae for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in an en banc appeal involving the federal habeas statute. She has successfully petitioned the Seventh Circuit to halt the deposition of a high-ranking public official, and she has served as trial counsel in related redistricting litigation. Previously, Ms. Meehan was a partner at Bartlit Beck, where she served as trial and appellate counsel for a variety of complex commercial disputes, patent disputes, and cases involving constitutional claims.

Ms. Meehan is a former law clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge William H. Pryor Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. She graduated with high honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where she was selected for Order of the Coif and served as Managing Editor of the Law Review. Ms. Meehan is also a graduate, summa cum laude, from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Cameron T. Norris

Partner
cam@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Norris assists clients with a variety of trial and appellate matters, especially novel questions of constitutional law, tax law, and election law. In 2020, as an associate, he argued the case of CIC Services v. IRS in the United States Supreme Court, obtaining a unanimous decision on behalf of his client reversing the decision below. Mr. Norris has also represented the Republican National Committee, numerous States, and the former President of the United States in complex constitutional cases. He has argued in multiple federal trial and appellate courts.

Mr. Norris is a former law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge William H. Pryor Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He earned his B.A. in Mathematics, Philosophy, and Political Science from Vanderbilt University and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he was selected for Order of the Coif. Mr. Norris is a member of the Tennessee and Virginia bars. He lives with his family in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Bryan Weir

Partner
bryan@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Weir helps clients litigate constitutional, statutory, and regulatory issues in courts and agencies throughout the country. He was trial counsel in a challenge to University of North Carolina's racial preferences in admissions and a high-profile housing discrimination case against a municipality in Westchester County, NY, which resulted in one of the largest recoveries by a single plaintiff in the history of the Fair Housing Act. He has also litigated numerous cases in state and federal court, including the United States Supreme Court, that have involved election law, challenges to federal banking and credit-card regulations, and challenges to commercial practices that violate state and federal civil-rights laws, among others.

Mr. Weir is a former law clerk to Judge Carlos T. Bea of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Since 2015, Mr. Weir has been an adjunct professor for the Administrative Law and Supreme Court Clinics at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. Mr. Weir earned his A.B. cum laude from Georgetown University and his J.D. summa cum laude from George Mason University School of Law. Mr. Weir is a member of the Virginia and California bars.

Gilbert Dickey

Counsel
gilbert@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Dickey represents clients in trial and appellate courts, with a focus on constitutional issues and complex litigation. He has argued multiple times in both federal and state appellate courts. He has also served as lead counsel in high-profile challenges to state law. Recently, Mr. Dickey served as court-assigned amicus in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to present a novel challenge to Article III jurisdiction to enforce agency orders.

Before joining Consovoy McCarthy, Mr. Dickey worked at a major international law firm, where he was elected partner. He also served as an Associate White House Counsel. In that role, he assisted with the confirmation proceedings for Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Earlier in his career, Mr. Dickey was an Assistant Solicitor General in the West Virginia Attorney General’s office, where he assisted with key appellate matters for the state and served as lead trial counsel defending the state’s right-to-work law.

Mr. Dickey served as a law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge William H. Pryor Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He graduated with high honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was selected to the Order of the Coif. He earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Samford University. Mr. Dickey is a member of the Alabama, District of Columbia, North Carolina, and West Virginia bars.*

*Supervised by principals of the firm who are members of the Virginia bar.

Tiffany H. Bates

Associate
tiffany@consovoymccarthy.com

Ms. Bates assists clients with a variety of litigation and appellate matters that encompass constitutional law, administrative law, and commercial litigation. Before joining the firm, Ms. Bates was a law clerk to Judge Kyle Duncan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She previously served as a Legal Policy Analyst at the Heritage Foundation, where she researched and wrote about the courts, judicial nominations, and various constitutional issues. She also co-hosted Heritage's SCOTUS 101 podcast. She earned her B.A. magna cum laude in Politics from Hillsdale College, and her J.D. from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. Ms. Bates is a member of the Virginia Bar.

Steven Begakis

Associate
steven@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Begakis assists clients with a variety of litigation and appellate matters that encompass constitutional law, administrative law, and commercial litigation. He has experience advising clients with regulatory compliance and litigating complex cases involving novel questions of securities law, First Amendment rights, constitutional structure, and other civil matters. Before joining the firm, Mr. Begakis was appointed to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division as a Policy Advisor. As part of the Division’s executive team, he provided legal and policy advice on a diverse range of wage and hour matters, including regulatory and enforcement issues related to the Fair Labor Standards Act. He played a critical role in the development and drafting of high-profile agency guidance, including proposed rules on the regular rate and joint employer status, and an opinion letter on the independent contractor status of "gig" economy workers. He received the Wage and Hour Division Administrator’s Award for Excellence for distinguished public service. Mr. Begakis has also authored scholarly works on the subjects of regulatory takings and commercial speech. Mr. Begakis is a former law clerk to Judge Reed O’Connor of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and Judge Margaret Ryan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. He earned his B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame Law School. Mr. Begakis is a member of the Virginia and California Bars.

C’Zar Bernstein

Associate
czar@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Bernstein assists clients with a variety of litigation and appellate matters that encompass constitutional law, administrative law, and commercial litigation.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Bernstein served as a law clerk to Chief Judge William H. Pryor Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and Judge Gregory E. Maggs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. He earned his B.A. in Philosophy from The Florida State University, his Master’s in Philosophy from the University of Oxford, and his J.D. with High Honors from The George Washington University Law School. Mr. Bernstein is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.*

* Supervised by principals of the firm who are members of the Virginia Bar.

Frank Chang

Associate
frank@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Chang assists clients with a variety of litigation and appellate matters that encompass constitutional law, administrative law, and commercial litigation.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Chang was Legal Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, where he litigated constitutional and regulatory cases involving religious liberty issues. Before that, Mr. Chang was an associate at a large law firm in D.C. where he handled complex commercial litigation matters, as well as various constitutional, regulatory, and election law cases.

Mr. Chang is a former law clerk to Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Judge Henry F. Floyd of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He served as a law clerk to Senator Ted Cruz on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary during Justice Neil Gorsuch's confirmation hearing and worked on the House Select Committee on Benghazi. His publications appear on The George Washington Law Review. He holds a B.A. in political science from the Pennsylvania State University and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School. Mr. Chang currently serves in the Army National Guard in the rank of Captain.

He is a member of the Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia Bar.*

*Supervised by principals of the firm who are members of the Virginia Bar.

James Hasson

Associate
james@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Hasson assists clients with a variety of litigation and appellate matters that encompass constitutional law, administrative law, and commercial litigation.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Hasson was an associate in the Washington, D.C. offices of Sidley Austin LLP, where he assisted clients with commercial and appellate litigation matters and completed a pro bono fellowship with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

Mr. Hasson is a former law clerk to Judge Edith H. Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Prior to law school, Mr. Hasson served as an Army officer and completed a deployment to Afghanistan. He is a member of the Texas Bar.*

*Supervised by principals of the firm who are members of the Virginia Bar.

Jeff Hetzel

Associate
jhetzel@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Hetzel assists clients with a variety of litigation and appellate matters that encompass constitutional law, administrative law, and election law.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Hetzel was a law clerk to Judge Kevin C. Newsom of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He earned his B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from Middlebury College and his J.D. from Stanford Law School. Mr. Hetzel is a member of the Colorado bar.*

*Supervised by principals of the firm who are members of the Virginia bar.

Jim McGlone

Associate
jim@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. McGlone assists clients with a variety of litigation and appellate matters that encompass constitutional law, administrative law, and commercial litigation.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. McGlone was a law clerk to Judge Kyle Duncan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He earned his A.B. in History from Harvard College and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. Mr. McGlone is a member of the Massachusetts bar.*

* Supervised by principals of the firm who are members of the Virginia bar.

Matt Pociask

Associate
matt@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Pociask assists clients with a variety of litigation and appellate matters that encompass constitutional law, administrative law, and commercial litigation.

Mr. Pociask is a former law clerk to Judge Gregory Katsas of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Judge Amul Thapar of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and then-Judge Amy Coney Barrett of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Before practicing law, he was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army Special Forces.

Mr. Pociask graduated with high honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was selected for Order of the Coif. He served as student director of the corporate lab clinic and was chapter president of the Federalist Society. He earned his B.A. in economics, summa cum laude, from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Mr. Pociask is a member of the Illinois bar.*

* Supervised by principals of the firm who are members of the Virginia bar.

David Rosenthal

Associate
david@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Rosenthal assists clients with a variety of litigation and appellate matters that encompass constitutional law, administrative law, and commercial litigation.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Rosenthal was an associate in the Washington, D.C. offices of an international law firm, where he assisted clients with white collar defense and government investigations, and a visiting legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

Mr. Rosenthal served as a law clerk to Judge Joel M. Carson III of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Judge Benjamin J. Beaton of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, and Judge James A. Teilborg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. He earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Northeastern University, his M.B.A. from the University of Arizona Eller College of Management, and his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. Mr. Rosenthal is a member of the California and District of Columbia bars.*

*Supervised by principals of the firm who are members of the Virginia bar.

Katie Smithgall

Associate
katie@consovoymccarthy.com

Ms. Smithgall assists clients with a variety of litigation and appellate matters that encompass constitutional law and administrative law.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Smithgall served as Deputy Solicitor General for the State of Montana, where she worked on civil trial and appellate matters in both state and federal courts. In this role, she argued before federal circuit courts, federal district courts, and state trial courts. Before that, she was an associate at a large law firm in D.C. where she worked on complex commercial litigation matters, as well as constitutional, regulatory, and election law cases.

Ms. Smithgall is a former law clerk to Judge Timothy Tymkovich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and Judge Thomas Varlan of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. She served as a law clerk to Senator Ted Cruz on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary during Justice Neil Gorsuch's confirmation hearing. She earned her J.D. magna cum laude from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University and her B.A. in both economics and communication studies magna cum laude from Furman University.

Ms. Smithgall is a member of the D.C. and Montana Bar.*

*Supervised by principals of the firm who are members of the Virginia Bar.

Thomas Vaseliou

Associate
tvaseliou@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Vaseliou assists clients with a variety of litigation and appellate matters that encompass constitutional law, administrative law, and election law.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Vaseliou was a law clerk to Judge Andrew S. Oldham of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and to Judge Richard G. Taranto of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Mr. Vaseliou earned his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was selected for the Order of the Coif. Mr. Vaseliou earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering summa cum laude from the University of Florida. Mr. Vaseliou is a member of the Texas bar.*

*Supervised by principals of the firm who are members of the Virginia bar.

Conor Woodfin

Associate
conor@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Woodfin assists clients with a variety of litigation and appellate matters that encompass constitutional law, administrative law, and election law.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Woodfin was a law clerk to Judge David J. Porter of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and Judge Reed C. O’Connor of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Mr. Woodfin earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, where he served as Editor in Chief of the George Mason Law Review. He holds a B.S. in accounting, magna cum laude, from Hillsdale College. Mr. Woodfin is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.*

* Supervised by principals of the firm who are members of the Virginia Bar.

Larissa Gloutak

Business Manager
larissa@consovoymccarthy.com

Ms. Gloutak assists the firm attorneys on business and administrative matters. Before joining the firm, Ms. Gloutak worked as a consultant in the health care industry and in clinical trials. She earned her B.S. in the honors program at the University of Nevada, Reno and her M.S. from Georgetown University.

Harrison Chen

Research Associate
harrison@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Chen assists the firm’s attorneys with a variety of in-house and litigation matters that encompass research, data and econometric analysis, procurement, and legal compliance. Mr. Chen earned his B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Vanderbilt University.

Alexander Phipps

Senior Research Associate
alex@consovoymccarthy.com

Mr. Phipps provides research and clerical support for the firm. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Phipps was a research associate and co-manager of the Supreme Court Advocacy Program at The Heritage Foundation. Mr. Phipps holds a B.A. summa cum laude in philosophy from Biola University.

Privacy Policy

Consovoy McCarthy PLLC (collectively, the “Firm,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to safeguarding the privacy of visitors to our website (the “Website”), contacts for our clients and prospective clients, contacts for suppliers of goods and services to the Firm, candidates for employment or engagement, and any other individuals about whom the Firm obtains personal information (each, “you”). Please read the following statement, which sets out the principles governing the Firm’s use of personal information that we may obtain about you, to understand how the Firm collects, uses, and otherwise processes your personal information as well as the rights that you have in relation to our processing of that information (the “Privacy Policy”). In this Privacy Policy, “personal information” means information that (either in isolation or in combination with other information held by the Firm) enables you to be identified or recognized. With respect to California residents, references to “personal information” in this Privacy Policy mean information that identifies, relates to, describes, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or household, subject to certain exceptions set forth in the California Consumer Privacy Act (the “CCPA”). The Firm will not sell or disclose personally identifiable information about you to unaffiliated third parties except in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Collection of Information

Although you are not required to provide any personal information on the public areas of our Website, you may choose to do so by completing certain contact or marketing forms. Should you do so, we may, for example, keep a record of your name, email address, and any other information you voluntarily provide to us.

Additionally, we may collect the following categories of personal information from you in the course of business, including through your use of the Website, when you contact or request information from us, when we provide services to you, or when we receive services from you. If you choose not to provide such information, you may not be permitted to access certain Firm Website features, content or services.

Identification data, such as name, gender, title, job title, or address.
Contact information, including your phone number(s), your email address, and your social media account or handle where appropriate.
Financial data, such as bank account information and invoicing details.
Event registration or mailing list data, such as dietary requirements (which may reveal information about your health or religious beliefs), preferences and interests, subscriptions, downloads, and username/passwords.
Job applicant data, such as identification data and contact information, resumé and other data provided by you or third parties (e.g. recruiters) on our Website, online recruitment portal (where applicable) or offline in connection with job openings, which may be subject to additional local requirements.
Legal and regulatory compliance data, as required for purposes such as know your client, anti-money laundering, and market abuse regulations requirements, or as part of our client onboarding process, which may include passport or other identification data, date of birth, home address, and other due diligence data.
Other service data, such as personal information relevant to the provision or receipt of services, in relation to any of your employees, customers or vendors, and client feedback.
Cookie and device data, such as information about your visit to our website, IP address, the URLs of the websites and pages you visit (before, during and after your visit to the Website) and the times and dates of such visits, information about the computer hardware and software you use, device identifier, location and time zone setting, even when you are not logged in. Also, the Firm may place “cookies” on your computer to recognize you on return visits to enable the Firm to enhance your browsing experience, as well as to collect additional information about you. As further described below, you may adjust your browser settings or use other means to prevent cookies from being placed on your computer, but doing so may result in reduced functionality and a less personalized browsing experience.

We may supplement the information that you provide to us with information that we receive or obtain from other sources, such as from our staff or personnel, clients, professional advisers, partners, and agents of the Firm, third parties with whom we interact, and publicly available sources.

Use of Information

We may use your personal information for the following purposes:

Provision of legal services – We use personal information that you voluntarily submit to us on the website or during the course of our engagement, regardless of the media used, such as identification data, contact details, and other service data that we may process in connection with the provision of services. The Firm’s work for you may also involve providing such information to third parties, such as expert witnesses and other professional advisers in order to represent your interests most effectively. This is necessary for us to perform our contract with you.
Administration of client and vendor relationships – We use identification data, contact details, financial data, and other service data, including for the processing of invoices, the updating of client records, and the management of our vendor relationships. This is necessary to perform our contract with you.
Addressing client inquiries/feedback – We use identification data, contact details, and other service data for this purpose. This process is necessary to perform our contract with you. It may also be necessary for our legitimate interests to establish or maintain a relationship with you; it is also in your interest to receive a response from us when you contact us.
Sending relevant marketing messages and inviting you to events/seminars – We use identification data, contact details, cookie and device data, and mailing list data to communicate with you by way of email alerts and post to provide you with information about our events, seminars, or services that may be of interest to you. This processing is necessary for our legitimate interest to send you tailored marketing messages, client newsletters, and invitations to relevant events and seminars.
Improving our website – We use cookie and device data to improve the functionality and user-friendliness of our website. This is necessary for our legitimate interests to constantly monitor and improve our online presence and services to you.
Keeping our website and IT systems and processes safe – We use identification data, contact details, financial data, cookie and device data, and other service data. This is necessary to perform our contract with you and to ensure the security and confidentiality of your data. It is also necessary for our legitimate interests to prevent illegal activities, including fraud, which could harm you and us.
Complying with legal or regulatory inquiries/requests – We use identification data, contact details, financial data, cookie and device data, and legal and regulatory compliance data (including for anti-money laundering or fraud detection purposes, statutory returns and fulfillment of the Firm’s ethical obligations). This is necessary for the purpose of complying with legal requirements that apply to the Firm.
Recruitment – Personal information about job applicants is collected and processed for purposes of screening, identifying, and evaluating candidates for positions; record-keeping related to hiring processes; analyzing the hiring process and outcomes; and conducting background checks, where and to the extent permitted by applicable law, which may also be subject to relevant local recruitment privacy policy. If you are hired by the Firm, this data will be transferred to our employee record files for the purpose of your employment. This is necessary in order to take steps at the request of the job applicant in the context of recruitment prior to entering into a contract. In addition, job applicant data and legal and regulatory compliance data may be used as necessary to comply with legal, regulatory, and corporate governance requirements.

Information Sharing

We may share your personal information with the following categories of recipients:

Other entities within the Firm to provide legal services to you and to administer any service provided to you that the Firm agrees to undertake;
Professional advisers, partners, and agents of the Firm to provide you with local legal services, as required, and to administer our relationship with you;
Vendors that will process your personal information on our behalf and under our written instructions to carry out their services during the course of our business, such as IT service providers, financial institutions, customer relationship management databases and other cloud-based solutions, third-party companies providing us with business analytics and statistics to assist with our marketing campaigns, and third-party venues in which we may host events and seminars. We contract with such vendors to ensure that they only process your personal information under our instructions and ensure the security and confidentiality of your personal information by implementing the appropriate technical and organizational measures for such processing;
Any law enforcement, regulatory, or government agency requesting personal information in connection with any inquiry, subpoena, court order, or other legal or regulatory procedures, with which we would need to comply. We may also share personal information to establish or protect the Firm’s legal rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others, or to defend against legal claims;
Any third party connected with business transfers; we may transfer your personal information to third parties in connection with a reorganization, restructuring, merger, acquisition, or transfer of assets of the Firm, provided that the receiving party agrees to treat your personal information in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy.
We are not responsible for the data policies or procedures or content of any linked websites, including (as just examples) social media companies such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We recommend that you check the privacy and security policies of each website you visit.

Transfers of Information

Your personal information may be transferred to or shared across our cloud-based computer networks with one or more Firm offices and our affiliated offices in the United States, or carefully selected service providers that the Firm may engage to host the Firm Website or to provide other services that may not be subject to data protection laws similar to those prevailing in the jurisdiction in which such information is provided to or received by us. All of our offices adhere to the same procedures with respect to your personal information, including this Privacy Policy, and the Firm will require all such service providers to use the information solely to provide the specified services, and otherwise to conform to the requirements of this Privacy Policy.

Your Rights

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights, subject to certain exceptions as set forth in the CCPA:

Right to access personal information. You have the right to receive the specific pieces of your personal information we have collected about you in the 12 months preceding your request.
Right to data portability. You have the right to receive a copy of your electronic personal information in a readily-usable format.
Right to know. You have the right to receive information from us regarding the categories of personal information we collected, the sources from which we collect personal information, the purposes for which we collected and shared personal information, the categories of any personal information we sold as well as the categories of third parties to whom such personal information was sold, and the categories of personal information that we disclosed for a business purpose in the 12 months preceding your “right to know” request.
Right to request deletion. You have the right to request the deletion of the personal information that you provided to us. Please note that in certain instances we may not be able to process your request, such as (i) due to the existence of a legal obligation, (ii) to detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, or prosecute those responsible for such activities, or (iii) in order to complete a transaction for which your personal information was collected.
Right to non-discrimination. You have the right to be free from discrimination by us as a result of you exercising your rights under the CCPA.

If you wish to exercise these rights, you must submit a request by emailing ccpa@consovoymccarthy.com. The CCPA requires us to verify requests we receive when one is seeking to exercise certain of the rights listed above. We may ask you to provide certain information in order for us to verify your request.

Note that certain of the rights set forth above do not apply until January 1, 2021 for job applicants, employees, partners, and contractors, and when personal information is transmitted in business-to-business written or verbal communications or transactions relating to due diligence, or providing or receiving a product or service to or from another business, and the personal information concerns an employee, owner, director, officer or contractor of that business.

The Firm has collected the following types of personal information about California residents in the last 12 months:

Category	Examples of Personal Information in this Category
Identifiers and Personal Information.	Name, mailing address, email address, phone numbers, online identifier, Internet Protocol address, Social Security number, driver’s license number, passport number, or other similar identifiers, education, employment history, bank account number, credit or debit card number, other financial information, medical information, and health insurance information.

Protected Characteristics.	Age, gender, demographic group, citizenship, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, and sexual orientation, and veteran or military status.
Internet or other similar network activity.	Browsing history, search history, information on a consumer’s interaction with a website, application, or advertisement.
Professional or employment-related information.	Current or past job history or performance evaluations.

Sources of Personal Information Collected. We obtain the categories of personal information listed above from the following categories of sources: directly from you, such as when you complete forms, indirectly from you, such as observing your actions on our website, and from publicly available sources.

Disclosures for a Business or Commercial Purpose. In the preceding 12 months, the Firm has disclosed the types of personal information listed above to its service providers for business purposes.

No Sale of Personal Information. In the preceding 12 months, we have not sold any personal information.

Security

We have implemented technical and organizational security measures in an effort to safeguard the personal information in our custody and control. Such measures include, for example, limiting access to personal information only to staff and authorized service providers on a need-to-know basis for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, as well as other administrative, technical, and physical safeguards.

We endeavor to take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information, but cannot guarantee the security of any data you disclose online. Please note that email is not a secure medium and should not be used to send confidential or sensitive information. By providing information online, you accept the inherent security risks of providing information over the Internet and will not hold us responsible for any breach of security, unless it is due to our negligence or willful default.

Cookies

Our website uses certain tags, log files, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies from third parties (collectively, “cookies”), of which you should be aware.

Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information that can be downloaded to your device when you visit a website. Cookies enable us to analyze how the Firm Website is used and to monitor site performance, so we can create the best user experience. We may also use cookies to personalize language settings and to provide social media features.

In addition to the cookies used by the Firm and our service providers, some cookies are placed by third parties such as Google Analytics, as described below.

By using the Firm’s Website, you agree to the use of cookies for the following purposes:

Essential Cookies: these are essential in order to enable you to move around the Firm’s Website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website.
Performance and Analytics Cookies: Google Analytics (“Analytics”) is Google’s free web analytics tool that helps us understand how our visitors engage with our website. Analytics collects information anonymously and, much like examining footprints in sand, it reports website trends without identifying individual visitors. Analytics uses its own set of cookies to track visitor interactions. These cookies are used to store information, such as what time the current visit occurred, whether the visitor has been to the site before, and what site referred the visitor to the web page. Google Analytics customers can view a variety of reports about how visitors interact with their website so they can improve their website and how people find it. A different set of cookies is used for each website, and visitors are not tracked across multiple sites. Analytics customers are obliged to notify users of their use of analytics software. To disable this type of cookie, some browsers will indicate when a cookie is being sent and allow you to decline cookies on a case-by-case basis. In addition to declining cookies, you can also install the Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on in your browser, which prevents Google Analytics from collecting information about your website visits. You can also opt out by clicking here.
Functionality Cookies: they remember the choices you make, such as language options or your current region. These cookies help to make your visit more personal.
You can block or disable cookies on your device at any time by indicating this in the preferences or options menus in your browser. You can also delete the cookies that are stored on your device. However, blocking, disabling, or deleting cookies may limit your ability to view all the pages of the Firm Website or use online services that require registration. You may opt out of Google’s use of cookies by visiting their Ad Settings page. You may also opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies at the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page. You can find more information about cookies at www.allaboutcookies.org and www.youronlinechoices.com.

Information Retention

We will only retain your personal information for as long as necessary for the purposes for which that information was collected as set out in this Privacy Policy or for longer as required under any applicable legal, regulatory, accounting, or reporting requirements. Should you opt out or no longer wish to receive marketing messages from us, we will securely delete your personal information from the relevant mailing list(s).

Additional Services

From time to time, the Firm may offer additional services through the Firm Website. In some cases additional services may be subject to alternative terms of use (as identified by the Firm), and your use of any such services will constitute your acceptance of such alternative terms of use. Unless otherwise stated, such alternative terms of use shall apply to supplement this Agreement and in the context of any conflicting terms, this Agreement shall govern with respect to the Firm Website, content and services, excepting only those services which are expressly covered, and then only to the extent so expressly covered, by such alternative terms.

Sending Information Does Not Form an Attorney-Client Relationship

Transmission of information from this Website does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and the Firm, nor is it intended to do so. The transmission of the Website, in part or in whole, and/or any communication with us via Internet e-mail through this site does not constitute or create an attorney-client relationship between us and any recipients.

Unsubscribe

We may send you direct marketing messages including by way of email alerts and postal mail. If you no longer wish to receive our email alerts, to be part of a mailing list, or to receive any marketing communications, you can opt-out of such communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the relevant communication or contacting us at ccpa@consovoymccarthy.com.

Notification of Changes

We may occasionally update this Privacy Policy as our services and privacy practices change, or as required by applicable legal or regulatory requirements. Where it is practicable, we will notify you by email of any significant changes. However, the last update date is posted below, and we encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to be informed of how we use your personal information.

Effective Date: July 15, 2020