BigLaw firm took several pages from ‘Retaliating Employer’s Handbook,’ suit alleges

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BigLaw agency took a number of pages from ‘Retaliating…

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BigLaw agency took a number of pages from ‘Retaliating Employer’s Handbook,’ go well with alleges

By Debra Cassens Weiss

January 23, 2025, 11:11 am CST

Up to date: A counsel at Davis Wright Tremaine in Seattle has filed a retaliation lawsuit in opposition to the legislation agency and a number of other companions, together with one defendant who moved into the plaintiff’s Seattle house constructing—allegedly on the agency’s dime.

Lawyer Arthur A. Simpson alleges in his professional se Jan. 9 go well with that Davis Wright and a number of other companions “have taken quite a few pages straight from the time-tested Retaliating Employer’s Handbook.”

Law360 has the story and gives a hyperlink to the criticism, filed in state courtroom in King County, Washington.

The retaliation started, the go well with says, after Simpson complained about one companion in 2022 for allegedly asking him to carry out actions that he opposed. The companion later moved into Simpson’s house constructing whereas he was on medical go away to get well from the stress that she had induced, leading to further “stress, nervousness, despair, concern and upset” for Simpson.

Simpson’s complaints in regards to the companion had been “summarily” rejected, and he was advised that he had the choice of resigning with a “paltry severance bundle” or working solely remotely, in keeping with the go well with. The ultimatum was primarily based on the “totally false and defamatory” proposition that Simpson posed a security risk to his colleagues, the go well with says.

The agency’s calls for had been dropped, however “as a matter of sensible actuality, Simpson’s prospects at DWT had been cooked,” the go well with says.

Simpson agreed to a “truce” that included a medical go away of absence and returned to work in November 2022. However the agency “by no means meant to let bygones be bygones” and started to govern his efficiency evaluations, the go well with says. He was advised in his 2023 efficiency overview that he ought to go away the agency—and shortly.

However Simpson “was decided he wouldn’t be unlawfully bullied out of the agency,” and he “made his finest efforts on behalf of the agency’s purchasers day-after-day.”

Extra lately, the go well with says, Simpson skilled post-traumatic stress dysfunction after he was chased by a homeless individual with a crowbar whereas he was strolling his canine. Simpson drew a licensed handgun however didn’t shoot. He reported the assault to the agency, however his colleagues refused to debate the difficulty with him.

“As anyone who has been to junior highschool is aware of, it’s emotionally painful to obtain the ‘chilly shoulder’ from one’s peer group,” Simpson wrote. “And the expertise just isn’t a lot better as an grownup.”

Relatively than checking in with Simpson, the go well with says, Davis Wright managers “cranked up his obligations till he was all of the sudden billing extra hours than at any prior time in his profession.” On the identical time, the managers had been conducting a behind-the-scenes investigation into “whether or not he was sending grumpy emails to his opposing counsel,” the go well with says.

“After two-and-a-half years of sustained retaliation in opposition to Simpson, he lastly ran out of steam and needed to take one other medical go away of absence” beginning in November 2024, the go well with says.

The go well with alleges retaliation, incapacity discrimination, intentional infliction of emotional misery, defamation failure to pay a bonus for which he certified and civil conspiracy.

Davis Wright offered an announcement to Law360 that known as Simpson’s allegations “baseless.”

A spokesperson for the agency offered this assertion to the ABA Journal: “We now have labored extensively to help Mr. Simpson over his tenure with the agency. We remorse that he has chosen to interact on this litigation and now try and strive his case within the press. We’ll vigorously defend in opposition to his baseless allegations.”

Up to date Jan. 23 at 1:59 p.m. so as to add the assertion from the Davis Wright Tremaine spokesperson.

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