4th Female Employee at DLA Piper Harmed by Louis Lehot Files with EEOC

Our firm filed an EEOC Charge today for another former female employee in the Silicon Valley practice of DLA Piper. In the allegations to the EEOC on October 21 by a former HR manager, Jane Smith, she referred to an employee as “Admin Assistant 1.” Louis Lehot ordered Ms. Smith to fire “Admin Assistant 1” despite her good performance. Ms. Smith alleges that her refusal to blindly follow Louis Lehot’s marching orders led to her own termination. Now, “Admin Assistant 1” is speaking up. Andrea Ivan tells the EEOC that the facts described by Ms. Smith are true. Louis Lehot liked his admin assistants to be “young and hot,” an unreasonable standard to place on any woman, much less for her at age 65. Like the three women before her, Ms. Ivan’s submission depicts a culture of fear and harassment at DLA Piper that was led by its fiefdom head, Louis Lehot.
Shortly after Louis Lehot was named Co-Managing Partner, Ms. Ivan received a verbal warning that Ute Krudewagen, a female partner in the Silicon Valley group, had complained about her. No details or proof about the alleged poor work for Ms. Krudewagen was given to Ms. Ivan, yet DLA Piper used this excuse to transfer Ms. Ivan from Palo Alto to San Francisco, and thereafter forced her out. Outrageously, this powerhouse of a law firm spent excessive time and resources disputing Ms. Ivan’s $2200 unemployment claim, including by sending two senior-level HR employees to attend an in-person hearing to avoid paying $2200. The judge ruled against DLA Piper. Ms. Ivan defended herself.
