Chris Hart is an experienced civil litigator and human rights lawyer with a focus on cybersecurity and global data protection. As co-chair of Foley Hoag’s Privacy and Data Security practice, Chris counsels clients—ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies—on data privacy and cybersecurity compliance, incident response, government investigations, and litigation stemming from an organization’s data management and governance practices. Chris is a certified privacy professional with substantial experience advising clients regarding their obligations internationally and in the U.S., including with regard to the California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the UK and EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Canada’s Personal Information Privacy Act (PIPEDA), and a host of domestic and international regulatory frameworks. He counsels companies regarding the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), the Stored Communications Act (SCA), the Telephone Consumer Privacy Act (TCPA), as well as relevant state analogs. Chris also provides substantial support as a subject matter expert to the firm’s transactional practice.
Chris has successfully counseled hospitals, tech companies, financial institutions, cannabis and energy clients, and non-profits concerning data security incidents. As a leader of the firm’s Cybersecurity Incident Response Team, Chris coaches companies through incident investigation and response, works closely with forensic consultants, manages organizations’ ensuing compliance obligations, and defends and advocates on behalf of organizations facing government investigations or litigation stemming from incidents.
As a privacy and data security litigator, Chris represents organizations suffering the fallout of payment fraud that stems from data security compromises. His litigation experience includes matters involving the CFAA, the SCA, the TCPA, and other federal and state privacy laws. Chris has substantial experience litigating matters concerning information transparency, including matters arising from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Massachusetts Public Records Law, and the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law. His in-depth privacy and data security knowledge has made him a sought-after commentator in the local and national press with his comments appearing in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Politico, Bloomberg, and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.
Civil Litigation
Chris’s litigation experience extends beyond privacy, cybersecurity, and information. As a civil litigator in U.S. courts, Chris has helped obtain successful outcomes for clients before, during, and after trial. He has successfully defended national law firms against allegations of legal malpractice and employment discrimination; represented sovereign nations in high-stakes suits brought by private litigants; defended large corporations in patent infringement suits; defended against large and complex claims arising out of lengthy construction contracts; and challenged state and federal administrative actions. Chris also represents companies and individuals in investigations brought by federal and local law enforcement authorities, including the Massachusetts State Attorney General’s office. He has argued in appellate courts across the country, including successfully before the Massachusetts Appeals Court and Supreme Judicial Court. He also frequently represents clients in significant internal investigations, including most notably relating to issues of discrimination.
Global Business and Human Rights/Corporate Social Responsibility
Chris is an active practitioner in the firm’s Global Business and Human Rights practice (formerly known as Corporate Social Responsibility), representing companies such as Meta, Microsoft, Nokia, and other global technology firms regarding issues at the intersection of privacy, freedom of expression, and human rights. Such work includes company-wide human rights impact assessments, often focusing on uses of novel and emerging technologies, and multi-stakeholder initiatives to tackle seemingly intractable global challenges.
Pro Bono and Community Involvement
Chris is committed to pro bono work and serving the greater Boston community. His pro bono efforts have included representation of petitioners challenging their convictions stemming from the Hinton Drug Lab scandal, leading to the landmark Bridgeman decision from the Supreme Judicial Court, overturning thousands of convictions. As a member of a team representing the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Chris’s work helped lead to the Supreme Court’s important decision in Commonwealth v. Brown, essentially abolishing the felony-murder rule. He has also been actively involved in nationwide litigation challenging executive action relating to immigration restrictions.
Fluent in Spanish, Chris has represented numerous immigrants from South and Central America in navigating U.S. federal immigration law in federal court and before asylum officers. He represents indigent individuals in Boston Housing Court, and regularly staffs a Civil Appeals Clinic in Boston. Chris also offers pro bono support to non-profits in need of counsel on data privacy.
Chris currently serves as a member of the firm’s Hiring Committee, and its Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He serves as a member of the Boston Bar Association’s Council and its steering committee on Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Digital Rights; a board member for YW Boston; and on the Advisory Board for the Trustees of Reservation. He teaches data privacy compliance at Northeastern Law School, and regularly teaches litigation strategy at Duke Law School.
