Scandalous Lewis Brisbois Breakaway Firm Will Close Its Doors After Last Defectors Flee

// A Biglaw defector firm that entered the scene with a bang is now limping away with a quiet whimper.

Back in May, 140 attorneys left Lewis Brisbois to join Barber Ranen, a boutique employment firm whose leaders, John Barber and Jeffrey Ranen, promised “something new, something fresh.” As it turns out, the only things fresh and new that sprouted from the firm were the racist, sexist, and antisemitic emails that its leaders exchanged for years while working at Lewis Brisbois. Barber and Ranen soon resigned from their own firm, leaving its new leaders to rebrand the firm as Daugherty Lordan.

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Unfortunately, lawyers have been leaving the firm in droves ever since, including one of its new name partners. According to Bloomberg Law, Daugherty Lordan just lost its final 25 attorneys and will soon be closing its doors. Here are some additional details:

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[I]n the ensuing weeks [following the firm’s rebranding], dozens of attorneys left for firms including [O’Hagan Meyer,] Ogletree Deakins, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani and Dinsmore & Shohl.

Daugherty Lordan is finalizing collections as the last remaining attorneys leave, according to a person familiar with the matter.

UPDATE: A spokesperson for Daugherty Lordan offered a statement on behalf of the firm:

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“We thank our clients, colleagues, and families, whose overwhelming support helped Daugherty Lordan emerge and devise a path for its 150+ loyal attorneys and staff. Unfortunately, risk, uncertainty, and market conditions made it impossible for us to thrive as a startup. As a result, with the future of our professionals in mind, we entered into discussions with a number of firms to find stable homes for our talented group. We have achieved that goal and, although the Daugherty Lordan chapter is ending, we will carry the lessons of these past several months throughout our careers.”

What’s the lesson to be learned here? As noted by Zach Olsen, president of PR firm Infinite Global, when commenting on the trove of offensive emails that served as Barber Ranen’s undoing, “You don’t often see this level of misogynistic, racist, and antisemitic content because people—even horrible people—know better than to put things in writing.”

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Never, ever put this kind of filth in writing, lest you’d like to do “maximum damage” to your own career.

Lewis Brisbois Defector Firm Loses 25 Attorneys, Marking Its End [Bloomberg Law]

Earlier: Partners Lead Mass Defection From Biglaw Firm, With Up To 140 Lawyers Set To Join New Boutique
Leaders Of Barber Ranen Exchanged Racist, Sexist, Antisemitic Emails For Years
Barber Ranen Leaders Resign From Their Own Firm After Racist, Sexist, Antisemitic Emails Are Leaked
‘Maximum Damage’: Law Firm Partners Learn The Hard Way Never To Put Offensive Things In WritingBarber Ranen Adopts New Name After Firm Was Dragged Through The Mud Thanks To Offensive Email Scandal

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Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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Barber Ranen, Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Daugherty Lordan, Lewis Brisbois