Final week, mega Biglaw agency Baker McKenzie filed a lawsuit towards a former affiliate within the Superior Court docket of the District of Columbia. The agency’s defamation lawsuit alleges the previous tax affiliate, Brooke Radford, made repeated allegations on social media and Reddit — some 80+ of them — falsely accusing a accomplice of sexually assaulting her and accusing the agency of masking it up.
In accordance with the grievance, accessible in full beneath, Radford stated she was assaulted by Maurice Bellan (additionally a plaintiff within the lawsuit) and was terminated by the agency when she turned down the accomplice’s advances. Nonetheless, the agency maintains they’d a really totally different motive for her termination.
Baker terminated Ms. Radford’s employment throughout June 2025 as a result of she: (1) made a number of unauthorized private purchases on her Agency-issued bank card, together with clothes at high-end outfitters, first-class airplane tickets, and lots of private meals supply and Lyft transportation costs; (2) violated different Agency insurance policies; and (3) refused to cooperate with a Agency investigation into the unauthorized costs and different violations.
The grievance additionally paperwork “accusatory, threatening, and in any other case odd feedback” Radford made in a bunch textual content chat of Baker tax associates.
Throughout June and July 2025, each after Baker had knowledgeable Ms. Radford that it was terminating her employment and after her employment formally ended, Ms. Radford texted messages to a Baker associates’ group textual content chat that included, amongst different messages:
Accusing her former colleagues of “oppression”;
Accusing a former colleague of “mov[ing] [her] issues throughout a gathering”;
Singling out the identical former colleague and asking whether or not she “want to apologize for something you’ve accomplished to me”;
Saying that she “wished to air some issues out”;
Radford additionally wrote to the group chat songs and albums about revenge, particularly “5 AM in Philly,” and the album “AI Youngboy 2.”
The grievance additionally particulars “threatening” textual content messages Radford despatched to Bellan after she was terminated that included particulars on tragic information tales, a rap track about violent retribution, and one which stated “The following person who contacts me in your behalf shall be knowledgeable that you simply provided me $50,000 to have your grandchild then fired me as a result of I selected to not. I counsel you name it quits earlier than I let everybody know every little thing.”
Earlier than the agency filed their lawsuit, Radford stated she deliberate authorized motion, however she’s not commented on the lawsuit Baker McKenzie filed. The agency’s spokesperson stated of the swimsuit, “Ms. Radford’s public statements are false, defamatory and malicious.”
The agency is searching for injunctive aid and financial damages.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Legislation, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Pondering Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the very best, so please join together with her. Be at liberty to electronic mail her with any ideas, questions, or feedback and comply with her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].
