Kostelanetz's Victor Suthammanont and Hannah Ambinder secured dismissal of a case against a Czech website operator accused of violating New Jersey's "Daniel's Law" and related privacy protections. The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey ruled that it lacked personal jurisdiction over the foreign defendant and dismissed the claims against Kostelanetz's client.
What is Daniel’s Law?
“Daniel’s Law” is a New Jersey statute that lets judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and their families request that businesses not publish their home addresses and unpublished phone numbers online.
What did the court decide?
In Atlas Data Privacy Corporation et al. v. Kleissner Investments S.R.O. et al., the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey ruled that it lacked personal jurisdiction over Kleissner, a Czech Republic-based defendant, and dismissed the claims against Kostelanetz's client.
Why did the Court find it lacked personal jurisdiction?
The Court found that Kleissner's contacts with New Jersey were insufficient. As the Court wrote in its opinion, "While it is undisputed that Kleissner's search engines are accessible in New Jersey, Kleissner, which is located in the Czech Republic, does not market in the forum. Nor is there evidence that anyone in New Jersey has accessed the information of covered persons or others."
Did the Court find a causal connection between the defendant’s activities and the lawsuit?
No. The Court further found, "There is no causal connection between Kleissner's activities in the forum and the claims in this lawsuit, and even if there is some indirect connection, it is so attenuated that it does not meet the minimum contact requirements of the Due Process Clause of the Constitution."
Did the Court rule on the privacy claims of the lawsuit?
No. The Court did not rule on the merits of the privacy claims in the lawsuit, but in its dismissal, the Court noted that Kleissner's searchable databases are compiled from publicly available information, including information on government websites, as well as from sources that gather data that is “voluntarily provided by people who register web domain names.”
Where can I read the court's opinion?
Read the court's opinion: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-njd-1_25-cv-17065/pdf/USCOURTS-njd-1_25-cv-17065-0.pdf
About Victor Suthammanont
Victor Suthammanont served for a decade as a securities enforcement attorney in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including as a Senior Trial Counsel and as the Enforcement Counsel to Chair Gary Gensler. Prior to his extensive experience in the SEC's Division of Enforcement, Victor represented and advised clients in private practice in complex commercial disputes and litigations, as well as in internal and governmental investigations.
About Hannah Ambinder
Hannah Ambinder joined Kostelanetz LLP in 2025 after receiving her J.D. from Harvard Law School. While in law school, Hannah served as Executive Director of the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project and participated in the Criminal Justice Institute. She has interned in the Office of the Rhode Island Public Defender and in the Chambers of the Honorable Jed S. Rakoff, Federal District Judge for the Southern District of New York.
