IN · AG Filing: Feb 13, 2026
No cost. No obligation. If your data was exposed by 0Smith Hawks PL, you may be entitled to financial compensation.
Start Free Review →Based on the data types reported in this filing:
Your SSN is the master key to your identity. Once exposed, criminals can open new lines of credit, take out loans, or file taxes in your name.
Combined with a name and other leaked data, date of birth helps criminals pass identity verification questions at banks and government agencies.
Phone numbers exposed in breaches are used for SIM swapping attacks — hijacking your number to bypass two-factor authentication on financial accounts.
0Smith Hawks PL was the subject of a data breach notification filed with the IN Attorney General. The AG filing was recorded on February 13, 2026. The breach or discovery date reported in the filing is November 4, 2025.
From the AG filing description
0Smith Hawks PL operates as a professional law firm, managing complex legal matters, corporate litigation, estate planning, and sensitive client advisory services across Indiana. Because of the confidential nature of legal practice, law firms routinely amass vast repositories of highly sensitive information, including client financial records, proprietary corporate data, internal communications, and personally identifiable information pertaining to plaintiffs, defendants, employees, and third parties. The handling of these high-value records makes legal practices primary targets for cybercriminals seeking to exploit the confidential trustee relationship between attorneys and their clients. In 2026, 0Smith Hawks PL formally reported a significant data security incident to the Indiana Attorney General, triggering legal scrutiny and mandatory notification procedures. While investigations into legal sector cyberattacks often point toward sophisticated phishing campaigns, credential harvesting, unauthorized network intrusions, or vulnerabilities in third-party document management and cloud storage vendors, breaches of this magnitude frequently expose systemic gaps in network perimeter defense, encryption protocols, and multi-factor authentication enforcement within professional services firms. As a consequence of the security breakdown at 0Smith Hawks PL, highly sensitive records were exposed to unauthorized third parties, creating severe downstream risks for affected individuals. Compromised categories commonly include full legal names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, confidential legal correspondence, financial account details, and tax documentation. The exposure of Social Security numbers and financial data subjects victims to an elevated, long-term threat of identity theft, fraudulent credit card applications, unauthorized bank withdrawals, and targeted phishing schemes designed to extract further financial assets. Under Indiana state data breach notification laws and applicable consumer protection statutes, professional entities like 0Smith Hawks PL hold an affirmative legal duty to implement and maintain reasonable security procedures to safeguard sensitive personal information entrusted to their care. The occurrence of a data breach strongly suggests a failure to meet these established industry standards and regulatory expectations. When a law firm entrusted with confidential data suffers an unauthorized intrusion, it raises serious questions regarding whether adequate endpoint detection, intrusion prevention, and data minimization practices were actively enforced prior to the incident. Receiving a data breach notification letter from 0Smith Hawks PL serves as formal confirmation that your confidential information was compromised due to inadequate corporate security. Legally, the receipt of this notice establishes standing to participate in class action litigation aimed at holding the firm accountable for its failure to protect your data. Under our firm's policy, victims of this breach can pursue legal recourse on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are never any out-of-pocket costs or fees unless we successfully recover compensation on your behalf.
You may have been affected by the 0Smith Hawks PL data breach if:
Common categories of compensation in data breach class actions
The hours spent responding to a data breach — canceling accounts, contacting credit bureaus, updating passwords, and investigating fraud — represent compensable economic harm in data breach litigation.
Once your SSN is exposed, protection becomes an ongoing expense. Plaintiffs in data breach settlements have recovered costs for credit freezes, identity protection subscriptions, and time spent dealing with fraudulent accounts — sometimes covering multiple years of exposure.
Fees charged to close and reopen accounts, issue replacement cards, or dispute fraudulent transactions are recoverable in data breach litigation. So are the costs of overdrafts, late payments, and credit damage caused by unauthorized activity.
Several state data breach laws provide for statutory minimum damages — fixed amounts recoverable per affected individual regardless of actual loss. These provisions exist specifically to make legal action viable for victims who have not yet experienced direct harm.
Note: an attorney general breach filing does not by itself establish a settlement fund, a payment amount, or a claim deadline. If an official settlement notice is later issued, rely on that notice for payment details and deadlines.
Applicable State Law
This breach was reported under the Indiana data breach notification law, which mandates notification and establishes your right to seek damages.
No. Under Indiana data breach notification law and federal law, the unauthorized exposure of your personal data — regardless of whether it has been actively misused — can be sufficient grounds for a claim. The breach itself is the injury.
Nothing. The Law Office of David S. Harris handles data breach cases on contingency — you pay zero upfront and owe nothing unless compensation is recovered.
Immediately place a free credit freeze at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). A freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. Then file a complaint with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and contact our office — SSN exposure is one of the most serious breach types.
Banks may reverse fraudulent charges, but they are not obligated to compensate you for time lost, stress, or indirect damages. A class action claim against the breached company can recover those additional categories of harm.
State statutes of limitations for data breach claims typically run 2–4 years from the date of the breach or its discovery. Because this breach was recently disclosed, the window is open — but acting early preserves your options and strengthens the case.
Accepting free credit monitoring from 0Smith Hawks PL does not waive your right to pursue legal action unless you signed a specific release waiving claims. In most cases, victims who accepted monitoring can still file.
Not necessarily. Many data breach victims are never notified directly. If your personal information was held by 0Smith Hawks PL during the relevant period, you may still qualify even without receiving a letter. A free eligibility review can confirm your status.
Learn how to participate in the class action and what compensation you may be entitled to.
Join the Class Action →Use our verification tool to confirm your letter matches this official AG filing.
Verify My Notice LetterThis case file references a public filing made with the state filing in IN. This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any state government agency.
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