Law firm Proskauer sues ex-COO, claiming data theft | Reuters
claiming data theft
By Karen Sloan
Signage is seen at the office of Proskauer Rose LLP in Manhattan, New York City
Signage is seen on the exterior of the building where law firm Proskauer Rose LLP is located in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., August 17, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
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Law firms
Proskauer Rose LLP
Dec 28 (Reuters) - U.S. law firm Proskauer Rose on Tuesday sued its former chief operating officer, alleging he stole a trove of confidential information about the firm’s finances, lawyer compensation and clients before leaving his job there this month.
The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, claims Jonathan O’Brien deceived Proskauer staff members into allowing him to copy sensitive internal documents to USB files and then wrongfully deleted thousands of emails before giving notice that he was leaving.
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“Mr. O’Brien knew this information would be highly useful to Proskauer’s competitors, as it would enable them to effectively target and recruit Proskauer’s partners, practice groups, and clients,” the lawsuit said. The firm asked the court to block O'Brien from misusing its data and is seeking unspecified damages.
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O'Brien could not immediately be reached for comment. The firm said it believes he is on vacation in Mauritius.
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Proskauer said it does not know where O’Brien plans to work, but the complaint claims he told a fellow employee that the firm would be “very angry” when it learned about his new employer.
O’Brien joined the firm in 2015 as chief financial officer and became chief operating officer in 2017. A Proskauer spokeswoman did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
According to the complaint, O’Brien in November created a list of documents to steal, including each partner’s client list, financial compensation and performance; software the firm developed to create proprietary reports; and confidential strategies for lateral partner recruiting. He then allegedly tricked a technology employee into letting him copy the data, saying it has been requested by an outside consultant.
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O’Brien then copied the confidential files onto a USB drive, and on Dec. 16, the day his annual bonus posted, he “deleted every file on his personal network drive to try and cover up his theft,” according to the complaint.
He informed the firm on Dec. 20 that he was quitting effective Jan. 6. Proskauer’s executive committee voted to fire him upon filing its lawsuit, the complaint said.
By Karen Sloan
Signage is seen at the office of Proskauer Rose LLP in Manhattan, New York City
Signage is seen on the exterior of the building where law firm Proskauer Rose LLP is located in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., August 17, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
Companies
Law firms
Proskauer Rose LLP
Dec 28 (Reuters) - U.S. law firm Proskauer Rose on Tuesday sued its former chief operating officer, alleging he stole a trove of confidential information about the firm’s finances, lawyer compensation and clients before leaving his job there this month.
The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, claims Jonathan O’Brien deceived Proskauer staff members into allowing him to copy sensitive internal documents to USB files and then wrongfully deleted thousands of emails before giving notice that he was leaving.
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
“Mr. O’Brien knew this information would be highly useful to Proskauer’s competitors, as it would enable them to effectively target and recruit Proskauer’s partners, practice groups, and clients,” the lawsuit said. The firm asked the court to block O'Brien from misusing its data and is seeking unspecified damages.
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Register for free to Reuters and know the full story
O'Brien could not immediately be reached for comment. The firm said it believes he is on vacation in Mauritius.
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Law firm Kasowitz Benson sues spinoff in dispute over legal fees
Proskauer said it does not know where O’Brien plans to work, but the complaint claims he told a fellow employee that the firm would be “very angry” when it learned about his new employer.
O’Brien joined the firm in 2015 as chief financial officer and became chief operating officer in 2017. A Proskauer spokeswoman did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
According to the complaint, O’Brien in November created a list of documents to steal, including each partner’s client list, financial compensation and performance; software the firm developed to create proprietary reports; and confidential strategies for lateral partner recruiting. He then allegedly tricked a technology employee into letting him copy the data, saying it has been requested by an outside consultant.
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
O’Brien then copied the confidential files onto a USB drive, and on Dec. 16, the day his annual bonus posted, he “deleted every file on his personal network drive to try and cover up his theft,” according to the complaint.
He informed the firm on Dec. 20 that he was quitting effective Jan. 6. Proskauer’s executive committee voted to fire him upon filing its lawsuit, the complaint said.
