Matthew Fitzsimmons
Matthew Fitzsimmons is an Assistant Attorney General in Connecticut, heading that Office’s Privacy and Data Proteciton Department. He serves as the lead attorney in the Office on all matters involving data security and privacy, most often in relation to data breaches. Most notably, AAG Fitzsimmons served as the lead attorney and negotiator for a thirty-nine state investigation of a top technology company’s WiFi data collection, which matter was settled in early 2013. AAG Fitzsimmons has also served in a lead role investigating and negotiating multistate matters with other top internet and technology companies, including the two leading social networking websites. He also served as co-lead counsel in the first-ever state enforcement action (under the HITECH Act of 2009) for alleged violations of HIPAA. During his career as an Assistant Attorney General, AAG Fitzsimmons has litigated an array of complex matters involving violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act in state and federal court, and
has also argued on behalf of the State in numerous bankruptcy cases in several states where consumer protection laws and policies are implicated.
In 2011, Attorney General Jepsen appointed AAG Fitzsimmons to lead a multidisciplinary Privacy Task Force to educate the public about data protection and to focus the office's response to Internet privacy concerns and data breaches that affect consumers.
In March 2015, Attorney General George Jepsen created a dedicated and permanent Privacy and Data Security Department within the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office and appointed AAG Fitzsimmons as its Department Head. The formation of an official Department was in part to ensure that the privacy and data security work of the office maintains the high level of excellence and cutting edge commitment it receives today by dedicating staff to work exclusively on privacy-related matters. Like the Task Force before it, the new Department will be responsible for all investigations involving consumer privacy and data security. It will also help to educate the public and business community about their responsibilities, which include protecting personally identifiable and sensitive data and promptly notifying affected individuals and the Office of the Attorney General when breaches do occur.
AAG Fitzsimmons is a frequent guest speaker and panelist at industry and continuing legal education events on the topic of data privacy and security, and has contributed to panel discussions in the United States and Canada. Recently, AAG Fitzsimmons was named one of Connecticut Magazine’s “Forty under 40” and Connecticut Law Tribune’s “New Leaders in the Law” for 2012.
AAG Fitzsimmons also serves as Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law, where he teaches oral advocacy and brief writing as part of the school’s Moot Court program. AAG Fitzsimmons received his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Hartford and his J.D., with honors, from the University of Connecticut School of Law.