Ex-Biglaw Partner Alleges ‘Toxic Boys Club Locker Room’ In Lawsuit

// A former non-equity partner at Biglaw firm Thompson Hine has filed a complaint against the firm and three of the equity partners alleging gender discrimination. The lawsuit calls out Richard DePalma, former vice chair of litigation, for creating a “toxic boys club locker room” in the firm’s New York office. Rebecca Brazzano filed the complaint in the Southern District of New York late last week, seeking $15 million. She alleges DePalma acted inappropriately to her and other women in the office, and funneled work to male attorneys.

The pro se complaint alleges, “Thompson Hine cloaks their equity predators, like DePalma, behind the camouflage of its Ivory Tower, and enables rampant and disturbing discriminatory conduct by partners with actual ownership to strategically veil and shelter their unlawful conduct from the unforgiving scrutiny of the Courthouse.”

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Specifically, “DePalma implemented and perpetuated the old boys’ network and created a hostile frat boy work environment in the Business Litigation Group in the New York office, including his command performance litigation meetings were [sic] he merely recanted tales of his weekend escapades which were off topic and off color.”

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As reported by Law.com, the complaint also details how Brazzano’s billables were impacted by the culture of the office.

As vice chair of litigation, DePalma allegedly hoarded litigation workflow “to falsely increase his own billable hours” or directed the work to male attorneys. From the time DePalma assumed vice chair at the end of 2010 until Brazzano’s departure from the firm in 2022, she stated that he never steered incoming work in her direction.

Brazzano said DePalma’s harassment, while not “physically threatening,” was “humiliating,” as DePalma allegedly “bad-mouthed” her to colleagues. Brazzano alleged DePalma went as far as to recommend against Brazzano’s elevation to non-equity partner.

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Brazzano, who was elevated to non-equity partner in 2013, was asked to leave the firm in 2022 over alleged performance issues.

However, the complaint paints a different picture, with Brazzano saying it was her refusal to approve expenses that were contrary to the firm’s pro bono policy on a pet project of DePalma’s that led to her dismissal.

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“It is alleged here that Plaintiff’s exposure of DePalma’s sham pro bono endeavor, along with Plaintiff’s stated intention to close DePalma’s ability to enter any new related time entry, triggered a volatile reaction,” she said in the complaint. “The prospect of a female lawyer…exerting authority over him proved insufferable, resulting in a tumultuous and visceral eruption of DePalma’s ego and further fueled his discriminatory conduct directed at Plaintiff.”

The firm disputes the allegations in the complaint with a spokesperson saying, “Ms. Brazzano’s complaint does not have merit and the firm intends to defend fully against her allegations.”

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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. 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 or Mastodon @[email protected].

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Biglaw, Gender Discrimination, Thompson Hine