Louis Lehot
A third woman has come forward to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with allegations about the inappropriate behavior of former DLA Piper partner Louis Lehot. Leah M. Christensen, a professor at the University of San Diego School of Law and former Professional Responsibility Counsel within the firm’s Office of General Counsel, claims Lehot acted like a “textbook bully” and was allowed to get away with it because of the size of his book of business, saying:
Lehot is a textbook bully. There is simply no other way to describe him. He bulldozed his way through DLA Piper like a tank, rolling over anything or anyone in his way. In order to get his way, Lehot yelled, threatened, intimidated and terrorized people around him. I know because I was one of the people around him.
She also says that when, in the course of her work, she spoke with Lehot about his interpretation of an ethics rule, he lashed out calling her a “dumb bitch”:
For example, one time when I told Lehot that he was not following the ethics rules, in front of other DLA staff, Lehot called me a “dumb bitch.” I reported Lehot’s abusive conduct and “loose” interpretation of the ethics rules during our weekly department meetings to my boss, Peter Lindau, Assistant General Counsel, and to Joe Davis, Associate General Counsel. Nothing was done.
The allegations against Lehot are starting to pile up. Earlier this month, DLA Piper partner Vanina Guerrero alleged that Lehot repeatedly sexually assaulted her. She asked the firm to release her from their mandatory arbitration agreement so she can pursue her claims in court. The firm has been conspicuously silent on the forced arbitration agreement — despite the attention their arbitration stance in this case has garnered, but, they did announce that Lehot had been let go from the firm. But the firm also put Guerrero on administrative leave, saying they’d uncovered allegations against her unrelated to Lehot during their investigation of her claims. Lehot released a statement contesting the allegations against him and saying Guerrero was “exploiting” the #MeToo movement. Then a second woman, an anonymous HR manager, came forward with her own allegations against Lehot, saying he made her “physically afraid,” and further alleging the firm let her go when she complained about Lehot.
As part of Christensen’s letter to the EEOC, she also says she’s been contacted by other women at the firm who’ve had similar experiences with Lehot but are “too scared” to come forward.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).