Alyssa Sones

Alyssa Sones is an associate in the Business Trial Practice Group. She is the Lead Associate of Sheppard Mullin’s Retail, Fashion & Beauty Industry Team and serves as an Editor for its Retail Trend Spotter blog. Alyssa is also an active member of the firm’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Team and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US).

Areas of Practice

Alyssa excels at helping businesses resolve disputes with consumers. She is dedicated to guiding clients through thorny state, federal and international laws.

Many of the largest global brands trust Alyssa to skillfully litigate cases involving consumer protection, privacy and cyber security, data breach, false advertising, product pricing, and environmental, social and governance issues. She negotiates clients through various other complex commercial litigation matters including shareholder actions, breach of contract, employment and licensing litigation.

Alyssa has a breadth of experience managing the litigation process from individual arbitrations to nationwide class actions, and from early demands to appeals. Alyssa has experience drafting critical litigation documents from basic pleadings to high-stakes summary judgment motions and complex settlement agreements. Alyssa is also an excellent oral advocate with experience negotiating settlement agreements for a fraction of an opponent’s demand, deposing key witnesses and successfully arguing dispositive motions.

In addition to her active litigation practice, Alyssa frequently writes and speaks on various topics including consumer contracts, ESG, civil procedure, advertising and privacy law.

Articles

Eye on Privacy Blog Posts

• "California AG Turns on CCPA Investigation of Streaming Services," February 2, 2024
• "California Regulator Drives Inquiry into Vehicle Data," August 15, 2023

• "Illinois High Court Allows Biometric Privacy Claims to Go Back Five Years," February 10, 2023

• "California Governor Pulls the Plug on Genetic Information Privacy Act," October 20, 2020

• "French Regulator Says “Oui” to GDPR Fines for Under-Protected and Over-Retained Data," July 29, 2019 
• "Washington State’s Comprehensive Privacy Law Bill Continues to Navigate Through State Legislature," April 27, 2019 
• "UK Issues Fine for Unsolicited Funeral Marketing Emails," October 26, 2018 
• "FTC Expresses Concerns Over Mobile Security Updates," May 17, 2018 

Retail Law Blog Posts

• "California Legislature Strikes at Confidentiality Clauses in Consumer Refunds and Settlement Agreements," November 6, 2024
• "Farewell, Chevron: Navigating Corporate Regulation Under Loper Bright," August 22, 2024

• "Georgia Online Marketplace Updates Prove Controversial," June 20, 2024
• "Online Marketplaces: It’s Time to Track, Verify and Disclose Seller Info," January 23, 2023
• "Colorado’s Retail Delivery Fee," August 8, 2022
• "New York Fashion Sustainability Act: Now In Committee," April 28, 2022
• "FTC Signals Plan to Enforce Civil Penalties for Deceptive Endorsements," November 4, 2021

• "Maryland Breaks Ground with Digital Advertising Tax," March 17, 2021

• "Highlighting Initiatives Fighting Racial Inequity: Glossier Supports Entrepreneurs and Sheppard Mullin Trains Police Departments," June 19, 2020

Corporate and Securities Law Blog Posts

• "Delaware Chancery Court Strictly Construes Appraisal Statute to Deny Stockholders Appraisal Rights in a Reverse Triangular Merger," July 20, 2018 
• "United States Supreme Court Holds that Foreign Corporations May Not Be Held Liable Under the Alien Tort Statute," May 1, 2018

Class Action Defense Strategy Blog Posts

• "The Tides are Turning on a Wave of California Privacy Litigation," March 8, 2023

Speaking Engagements

• "Nation-State Cyber Threats & Retail," Retail Industry Leaders Association, October 9, 2024
• "Web Tracking Wonders: Navigating Laws in the Interactive Media Maze," SMRH Webinar, May 2024
• "Navigating Risk Created by AI and Web Tracking Technologies," Privo Children's Privacy Summit, January 2024
• “eDiscovery Case Law Update,” Women in eDiscovery Los Angeles, January 2024
• "Asymmetrical Litigation Tactics," RILA Retail Law Conference, October 2023
• “Privacy, Data Breach & AI Litigation Landscape,” California Alliance of Paralegals Associations Annual Conference, August 2023
• “How to Be a Global Company in a World of Inconsistent Legal Restrictions,” RILA Retail Law Conference, October 2022
• “Privacy in the Wake, and Legislative Awakening: A Roundtable Discussion on the Data Privacy Implications of Dobbs,” Women in Healthcare Leadership Collaborative, July 2022
• “eDiscovery and Data Privacy Laws,” Women in eDiscovery Conference, May 2022
• “eDiscovery Case Law Update,” Women in eDiscovery Los Angeles, February 2022
• "Hot Topics in Advertising – Pricing and Environmental Claims” Retail Industry Webinar, April 2021
• “Product Labeling & Advertising Claims Check-Up,” Retail Industry Webinar, October 2020

Events

Digital Media