Latest news with #PatrickMcGuire
Scotsman
09-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Lawyers claim over 1,000 people to join legal action against Marks and Spencer after customer data breach
Suit follows data breach that saw personal details of customers stolen by cyber criminals Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A Scottish law firm has announced it is launching a class action lawsuit against retail giant Marks and Spencer. This comes after a catastrophic data breach in April that saw personal details belonging to millions of customers stolen by cyber criminals. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The action, led by Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, allows affected individuals to seek compensation collectively, rather than through individual claims. Currently, more than 1,000 Scots have joined legal action against the retailer according to lawyers. The law firm told The Scotsman that this is now the 'fastest growing case' that they have ever handled. They added that the public are 'furious' with M&S who they saw as a 'trusted brand'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad M&S had a cyber attack during the Easter break. | In Pictures via Getty Images What happened during the M&S cyber attack? Marks and Spencer experienced a cyberattack over the Easter break. The online attack resulted in sensitive system files which included customer credentials being stolen. The incident affected contactless payments and click-and-collect orders in stores across the UK. There was also another problem that affected only contactless payments. M&S has since admitted that the incident was the result of 'human error' and said the fallout is expected to cost the company around £300m. 'Fastest case' law firm have ever handled In a statement to The Scotsman, Patrick McGuire, senior partner with Thompsons Scotland, said: 'The level of engagement from the public with this class action has been huge. It is the fastest growing case we have ever handled. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The public are furious with M&S who they saw as a trusted brand while the hackers saw them as an easy target. 'The failure to protect our clients valuable data has led to many already being targeted by organised criminals. 'I expect this case to continue to grow and we will make sure our clients get proper compensation for this huge breach of trust.' An M&S spokesperson said they had not yet received any group litigation claims. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The company also notified regulators soon after discovering the cyber incident and said it continued to work closely with them.
Daily Record
08-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Over 1,000 Scots join class action suit against M&S after cyber hack
The news comes after we revealed the retail giant is facing a multi-million-pound case for failing to keep personal data safe. More than 1,000 Scots have joined legal action against Marks & Spencer following a major cyber attack that compromised customer data, lawyers say. The news comes after we revealed the retail giant is facing a multi-million-pound case for failing to keep personal data safe. Hackers obtained customer and staff information that could include phone numbers, home addresses, dates of birth and online ordering histories of millions of people in a cyberattack in April. In May, we told how Thompsons Solicitors launched a class action suit which could result in compensation pay-outs of several hundred pounds per customer. The action allows affected individuals to seek compensation collectively, rather than through individual claims. M&S has since admitted that the incident was the result of 'human error' and said the fallout is expected to cost the company around £300m. The Co-Op Group was also targeted at the same time in a ransomware attack – believed to be part of a wider coordinated operation by criminals. Although no passwords or financial information were taken, experts warn that this kind of data could be used to commit identity fraud or enhance phishing scams. Thompsons senior partner Patrick McGuire said the number of claimants are quickly continuing to grow with more expected to join. He said: 'The level of engagement from the public with this class action has been huge. It is the fastest growing case we have ever handled. 'The public are furious with M&S who they saw as a trusted brand while the hackers saw them as an easy target. The failure to protect our clients valuable data has led to many already being targeted by organised criminals. I expect this case to continue to grow and we will make sure our clients get proper compensation for this huge breach of trust.' Thompsons has previously represented clients in other data breach cases involving organisations such as Arnold Clark and the University of the West of Scotland. According to the UK Government's Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025, 43% of businesses reported experiencing at least one cyberattack or breach in the past year. The prevalence of ransomware attacks has also increased significantly, with an estimated 1% of all UK businesses – roughly 19,000 firms – affected in 2025, up from less than 0.5% in 2024. Mr McGuire said the trend should serve as a warning for all companies holding personal data. A spokesperson for Marks & Spencer said it has not yet received any group litigation claims. They added: 'We wrote to our customers as soon as we could in relation to their personal data, making clear that no useable card or payment details or account passwords had been extracted during the cyber incident, and that there was no evidence that any customer data had been shared, which we continue to monitor and remains the case.' The boss of Marks & Spencer said last week that he hoped its online operations would be running 'fully' within four weeks as it continues to recover from the damaging cyber attack. Stuart Machin told the retailer's annual general meeting: 'I have previously highlighted that it would take all of June and all of July, maybe into August but definitely by July. 'Currently, half of online is open but not areas like click and collect. Within the next four weeks we are hoping for the whole of online to be fully on.'
STV News
08-07-2025
- Business
- STV News
Over 1,000 join legal action against M&S after major customer data breach
Thompsons Solicitors launches class action against M&S after April's cyberattack exposed customer data Names, emails, addresses, and birth dates stolen — raising concerns over identity fraud and phishing scams M&S admits fault, estimating the breach could cost the company around £300 million Customers urged to beware of fake emails offering gifts; experts stress verifying sender details before clicking links M&S hopes to fully restore digital operations by August, following shutdowns to contain the breach More than 1,000 Scots have joined legal action against Marks & Spencer following a major cyber attack that compromised customer data, according to lawyers. Thompsons Solicitors said it is launching a class action lawsuit against the retail giant after a catastrophic data breach in April that saw personal details belonging to millions of customers stolen by cyber criminals. The action allows affected individuals to seek compensation collectively, rather than through individual claims. M&S has since admitted that the incident was the result of 'human error' and said the fallout is expected to cost the company around £300m. At the same time, the Co-Op Group was also targeted in a ransomware attack – believed to be part of a wider coordinated operation by criminals. The stolen information included names, email addresses, postal addresses, and dates of birth. Although no passwords or financial information were taken, experts warn that this kind of data could be used to commit identity fraud or enhance phishing scams. STV News Thompsons senior partner Patrick McGuire Thompsons senior partner Patrick McGuire said the legal action is still in its early 'onboarding' stages, but the number of claimants continues to grow rapidly. 'More and more people have approached us,' he told STV News. 'What that shows is how strongly Marks customers feel about that incident. They are upset, distressed and angry at the way the company treated them, the way it's been almost brushed under the carpet. 'Unless M&S can show they had absolutely nothing to do with the loss, that they could've done nothing else to prevent the loss from happening, they are liable in law to pay compensation. 'That's clearly the case in this incident; they did not do enough, they did not have robust enough systems, they are legally responsible.' Thompsons has previously represented clients in other data breach cases involving organisations such as Arnold Clark and the University of the West of Scotland. iStock Class action lawsuit filed against M&S following major data breach According to the UK Government's Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025, 43% of businesses reported experiencing at least one cyberattack or breach in the past year. The prevalence of ransomware attacks has also increased significantly, with an estimated 1% of all UK businesses – roughly 19,000 firms – affected in 2025, up from less than 0.5% in 2024. Mr McGuire said the trend should serve as a warning for all companies holding personal data. 'The legislation is perfectly clear; the people who hold our data have a very heavy burden to protect that data. When that doesn't happen, they are just as responsible in law as the hackers for injury, upset, and distress caused by that data loss,' he said. 'Marks & Spencer legally have nowhere to hide. I hope that means they will come to the table quickly and do the right thing, and pay their loyal customers compensation to which they're entitled.' A spokesperson for Marks & Spencer said they have not yet received any group litigation claims. The company also notified regulators soon after discovering the cyber incident and continue to work closely with them. The statement read: 'We wrote to our customers as soon as we could in relation to their personal data, making clear that no useable card or payment details or account passwords had been extracted during the cyber incident, and that there was no evidence that any customer data had been shared, which we continue to monitor and remains the case.' Last week, the boss of Marks & Spencer said he hoped its online operations would be running 'fully' within four weeks as it continues to recover from the damaging cyber attack. Stuart Machin told the retailer's annual general meeting: 'I have previously highlighted that it would take all of June and all of July, maybe into August but definitely by July. 'During the incident we chose to shut things down because we didn't want the risk of things going wrong. 'Currently, half of online is open but not areas like click and collect. Within the next four weeks we are hoping for the whole of online to be fully on. 'Then our focus will be getting the Donington site back and running. We're hoping that by August we will have the vast majority of this behind us and people can see the true M&S.' M&S has sent gift cards to some customers but scammers are also sending fraudulent emails offering afternoon tea hampers if you complete a survey. Consumer experts have warned to be suspicious of emails that come out of the blue. 'Check the email address it's sent from to see if it ends in ' before clicking on any links and if you are still in doubt, contact M&S directly to verify if it's legitimate,' said Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert at Which? Dave Excell, founder of Featurespace, said: 'Scammers have a wide range of tools in their armoury to make digital communications as convincing as possible, and button generation using embedded links that take the victim to another site are one such example.' Fraudsters are using embedded links and button generation to disguise malicious websites in emails Criminals often exploit current events to make their scams appear timely and legitimate AI tools like FraudGPT and deepfakes are being used to enhance the realism and effectiveness of scams 'Financial providers must continue to invest in technology such as AI to identify and prevent fraud in real-time, enabling banks to effectively work alongside their customers to help spot scams before it's too late,' Mr Excell said. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
CTV News
07-07-2025
- CTV News
Midland man pleads guilty to dangerous driving in hit-and-run
Midland man Patrick McGuire pleaded guilty in a hit-and-run case that sent a woman to the hospital in serious condition. A Midland, Ont. man initially charged with attempted murder has pleaded guilty to being behind the wheel of a car that hit a woman before fleeing the scene last summer. Patrick McGuire, 40, walked out of the Barrie courthouse Friday in good spirits after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing bodily harm and leaving the scene of a crash that sent a Midland woman to hospital in life-threatening condition in August 2024. McGuire, who is represented by defence lawyer Stephanie Marcade, accepted responsibility for his role in the hit-and-run that nearly killed Michelle Vainer following an argument at a home near Wellington and Robert streets. McGuire had been with his girlfriend, Georgia Quanbury, that night when Quanbury and Vainer got into a fight. McGuire, while behind the wheel of his car, hit Vainer who was rushed to hospital in Toronto and spent several weeks fighting for her life. Related Articles McGuire's guilty plea came two months after Quanbury made a deal of her own after admitting to assaulting three women and threatening Vainer, who has an outstanding criminal matter of her own before the courts scheduled for trial this fall. Vainer has a history of drug charges dating back several years. The allegations against her have not been tested in court. Following five months in jail, McGuire was released from custody under strict conditions in early January. He remains banned from driving ahead of sentencing scheduled for early September.
Glasgow Times
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow law firm representing claimants in group action
Thompsons Solicitors, based in Wellington Street, is acting for individuals and businesses in the case against several Ford companies. The action relates to alleged use of defeat devices in Ford diesel vehicles manufactured to Euro 5 or Euro 6 emissions standards, excluding Euro 6d and Euro 6d Temp. The devices are claimed to have unlawfully reduced the effectiveness of the vehicles' nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions control systems, causing loss and damage to the pursuers. The full public notice can be viewed at Read more: Man charged with assault and theft after incident Proceedings have been brought by Graeme Hamilton, acting as the representative party on behalf of the group. The case is being heard in the Court of Session. The action is being brought against Ford Motor Company, Ford Motor Company Limited, Fordwerke Gmbh, Ford Motor Company of Australia Pty Limited, Ford Retail Limited, FCE Bank Plc, and ALD Automotive Limited. Anyone who has not previously made a claim in the group proceedings but wishes to do so is invited to contact Thompsons Solicitors. The firm can be reached by email at mbemissions@ or by post at Patrick McGuire, Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, 70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, G2 6UA.
