SAN FRANCISCO — Last July, someone broke in to the Menlo Park offices of venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers and stole several laptops, including two used by finance department personnel.

Kleiner Perkins general counsel Paul Vronsky hired outside counsel at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, and a month later he sent a letter to New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster. “We will provide the attached written notice to the one (1) potentially affected resident of your state. Although Kleiner Perkins has no knowledge at this time that the personal information noted above has actually been accessed, acquired or misused, out of an abundance of caution, we will offer credit monitoring services at no cost,” wrote Vronsky.

The incident illustrates how far-reaching the obligation to report data breaches has become, and the kind of headache it can be for companies and their in-house counsel.