Thiago M. Coelho, Esq. is a Partner at Wilshire Law Firm, PLC, and serves as the Chair of the Consumer and Data Privacy Class Action departments. He represents large classes of consumers in complex, large-scale litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the United States. His litigation experience has earned him significant recognition, including being named a 2024 California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) by The Daily Journal.
Thiago has litigated over 300 cases and has extensive experience across all stages of litigation, including trials and appeals. He is one of the few attorneys in the United States to have tried a class action to verdict and won. His victories include a landmark California Appellate decision in Moore v. Centrelake Med. Grp., Inc., 83 Cal. App. 5th 515 (2022), review denied (Dec. 14, 2022), which overturned the trial court’s dismissal in a data privacy class action against a medical facility provider. This case set a precedent in several key data privacy areas, including the standard for acceptable credit monitoring costs theory and the acceptance of the benefit of the bargain damages theory under the UCL and breach of contract. In another significant case, Thiago vacated the denial of class certification in a consumer class action in the Ninth Circuit after prevailing in an interlocutory appeal of the denial of a class action. Mier v. CVS Health, No. 22-55665, 2023 WL 4837851 (9th Cir. July 28, 2023). In Peters, et al. v. Apple Inc., No. 19STCV21787 (Cal. Super. Ct.), he recovered 90% of the maximum value for a common fund settlement of $25 million. Further, in 2024, Thiago secured the second-highest settlement in history for a class action lawsuit against a fashion retailer for a civil rights practice area.
He has been recognized by industry peers for his dedication to excellence and has received numerous legal accolades, including Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, Super Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40, Top 25 Class Action Attorney, and the Top 10 Data Privacy Attorney. Beyond his legal expertise, he is also a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). Thiago is a member of the Data Breach Committee of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) which works closely to refine and develop legislation to keep pace with the ever-changing data privacy landscape. He is also on the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA).
Practice Areas
- Class Actions
- Mass Actions
- Unfair Competition Actions
- Consumer Protection
- Data Privacy
- Investment Fraud
- Qui Tam Claims
- Antitrust
Education
- University of Central Florida – Bachelor of Science (With Honors)
- University of Southern California, Gould School of Law – Juris Doctor
Accolades
- California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY)
- Super Lawyers
- Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch
- The Class Action Trial Lawyers – Top 25, NTL
- Data Privacy Trial Lawyers – Top 10, NTL (former appointed president for 2021 and 2022)
- Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Lawyers, NTL
Memberships
- Data Breach Committee of the Consumer Attorneys Of California (CAOC)
- Class Action Division, American Association for Justice (AAJ)
- Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA)
- Impact Fund
- American Bar Association
- Los Angeles County Bar Association – Board of Trustees
Publications & Appearances
- “Citizens Policing the Police: An Evaluation of Citizens Recording Police Officers and Eavesdropping Laws,” 51 No. 1 Crim. Law Bulletin ART 6 (2015)
- “Mass Arbitration and Automation,” Speaker at National Trial Lawyers Summit
