A
lawsuit
filed
against
White
&
Case
details
a
party
culture
run
amuck
at
the
Biglaw
firm
with
deeply
disturbing
allegations.
According
to
a
complaint
filed
in
New
York
state
court,
a
staffer
at
the
firm
alleges
he
was
the
victim
of
a
truly
grotesque
violation
of
privacy.
A
firm
employee
says
he
was
subjected
to
what
the
complaint
calls
a
“humiliating
and
degrading”
incident
during
a
2023
firm
retreat.
He
alleges
he
was
drunk,
stripped
naked,
and
photographed
while
unconscious
by
a
supervisor.
The
filing
describes
the
incident
in
stark
terms,
characterizing
it
as
“intentional,
malicious,
and
designed
to
demean.”
And
if
that
were
the
end
of
the
story,
it
would
already
be
horrific,
but
there’s
more
in
the
complaint.
Instead,
the
plaintiff
alleges
the
images
were
“retained,
shared,
and
viewed
by
others
within
the
Firm,”
turning
what
should
have
been
a
one-off
act
of
misconduct
into
an
ongoing
workplace
injury.
He
claims
he
only
learned
of
the
photos
years
later,
at
another
firm
event,
when
coworkers
allegedly
referenced
them
in
a
way
the
complaint
describes
as
“mocking”
and
“deeply
distressing.”
The
plaintiff,
identified
as
“John
Doe,”
a
Hispanic
digital
production
specialist
at
the
firm,
says
he
reported
the
incident
to
White
&
Case’s
management
the
same
evening
he
learned
of
the
images.
Despite
this,
the
complaint
states
that
“rather
than
rectifying
this
egregious
violation,
White
&
Case
has
shielded
the
perpetrators,
conducted
a
sham
internal
investigation,
and
retaliated
against
[John
Doe]
for
speaking
out.”
The
complaint
pulls
no
punches,
calling
firm
events
a
“breeding
ground
for
misconduct,
sexual
harassment,
and
the
degradation
of
minority
employees.”
And
takes
aim
at
the
firm
itself,
accusing
White
&
Case
of
fostering
an
environment
where
this
kind
of
behavior
could
happen
and
then
failing
to
meaningfully
respond.
The
complaint
repeatedly
emphasizes
the
ongoing
harm
the
plaintiff
says
he
experienced.
It
describes
“severe
emotional
distress,
embarrassment,
and
humiliation,”
tied
not
just
to
the
existence
of
the
images
but
to
their
alleged
circulation
inside
the
firm.
The
continued
dissemination,
the
lawsuit
claims,
“perpetuated
a
hostile
work
environment”
and
reinforced
a
culture
where
the
plaintiff
felt
unsafe
and
unsupported.
White
&
Case,
for
its
part,
denies
the
allegations,
saying,
“We’re
aware
of
this
matter
and
while
we
take
all
such
allegations
seriously,
these
claims
are
baseless
and
we
intend
to
defend
them
vigorously
through
the
appropriate
process.
White
&
Case
is
committed
to
maintaining
a
professional,
respectful
and
inclusive
workplace,
and
we
have
robust
policies
and
procedures
in
place
to
support
the
high
standards
we
have
for
our
people
and
our
Firm.”
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].