Bio
Ben Thomassen’s practice focuses on consumer class actions, where he represents clients in litigation and helps them understand and respond to potential class action exposure.
At ZwillGen, Ben leverages his more than 10 years of experience prosecuting class actions on behalf of putative and certified consumer classes. During that time, Ben was involved in all stages of litigation—from conceptualization and investigation to litigation and settlement—in cases that turned on novel legal theories brought under federal and state privacy statutes and other consumer protection laws, including, among others, the Electronic Communications Privacy (“Wiretap”) Act, Video Privacy Protection Act, Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, and various states’ right of publicity statutes. He also argued some of the country’s most seminal privacy cases before state and federal courts, both at the trial and appellate levels—including before the Illinois Supreme Court. With this substantial body of knowledge and hands-on experience, Ben provides his clients with unique and practical insights into the areas of class action defense and risk mitigation.
As a litigator, Ben’s experience and overall approach to litigation has garnered the respect of colleagues on both sides of the aisle, resulted in his appointment to leadership positions by numerous state and federal courts, and earned specific praise for his display of “an extraordinary measure of excellence and courtesy that is unfortunately all too rare in today’s fractious and overly competitive atmosphere . . . [as] proof that lawyers can act civilly and courteously in their dealings with each other without sacrificing in the slightest the obligations they owe to their clients.” Dancel v. Groupon, Inc., No. 18-cv-2027, dkt. 212 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 25, 2021).
Prior to joining ZwillGen, Ben worked at Edelson PC in Chicago, Illinois, where he represented consumers and governments in civil litigation. During law school, Ben worked for the City of Chicago’s Department of Law and the Cook County State’s Attorney Office.
