Overview
Stephanie Balitzer is a senior litigation associate in the Complex Litigation practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm's Los Angeles office. She represents technology, media and consumer-facing companies in high-stakes commercial disputes, with a particular focus on data privacy, class actions, and contract-related litigation.
Stephanie has substantial experience defending companies in complex, multi-forum matters involving privacy and data-related claims, including class and collective actions and pre-certification strategy. Her experience includes litigating claims under the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL), the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act (CDAFA) and common law privacy theories. She also regularly handles significant breach of contract and business dispute matters for clients in the technology and media sectors.
She brings a practical understanding of the technical issues underlying modern privacy disputes, including experience engaging with concepts such as web tracking technologies, data flows and network security frameworks (including firewalls), which informs her approach to developing litigation strategy and working with technical experts.
She has played a central role in all phases of litigation, including dispositive motion practice, discovery and arbitration, and has contributed to significant victories in state and federal courts and on appeal. Stephanie has extensive deposition experience, including taking and defending key fact witness depositions.
Representative experience includes:
- Represented a video game developer in a putative class action alleging violations of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), and related privacy claims, securing complete dismissal at the pleading stage based on consent
- Obtained preliminary injunctive relief on behalf of an esports company in connection with Section 13(d) securities violations
- Secured summary judgment on all claims for a talent agency in a business dispute involving conversion, money had and received, and unfair competition, and successfully defended the judgment on appeal
- Achieved a complete trial victory for a medical device client in a breach of contract action
Her practice is informed by her prior experience as in-house litigation counsel at Endeavor, where she advised on disputes affecting a global media and entertainment business. This in-house perspective gives her a practical, business-oriented approach to managing risk and resolving high-exposure litigation.
Earlier in her career, Stephanie clerked for the Honorable Carol E. Jackson of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Education
- The University of Michigan Law School, J.D. (cum laude), 2016
- Tufts University, B.A. (summa cum laude), 2010
Representations
- Represented a major talent agency in a force majeure dispute regarding the cancellation of a music festival scheduled to take place in June 2020 in Los Angeles. Secured summary judgment victory on all causes of action, which concerned whether the talent agency’s artists were entitled to keep their performance guarantees under the applicable force majeure provisions in their contracts.
Engagement & Publications
Publications
- "What Common Law and Common Sense Teach Us About Corporate Cybersecurity”, University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, 49 U. MICH. J. L. REFORM 891, Author (2016)
- "Click, Wrap and Scroll: Securing Assent to Online Agreements”, The Daily Journal, Co-author (April 3, 2019)