Roberta Kaplan forced out of Kaplan Hecker Forum

[Anonymous User]

Interesting stuff in the NY Times report: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/28/busi ... aplan.html


Some of the more choice quotes:

"In the midst of the #MeToo movement, Ms. Kaplan told colleagues that she was too smart to ever have been sexually assaulted."

"Once, she told a female associate that the associate was more suited to “back of house” work because of her appearance. Another time, Ms. Kaplan said the same associate was too much of a “dyke” to clerk for the Supreme Court."

"Once she verbally attacked a case manager who disobeyed her command not to include meatballs in a pizza order. Ms. Kaplan’s fury was so remarkable that a lawyer took notes."

"Ms. Kaplan’s co-counsel from Paul Weiss, the veteran trial lawyer Karen Dunn, called out Ms. Kaplan’s behavior during a heated meeting, saying she had never seen another lawyer treat people so poorly."

[Anonymous User]

Good riddance. We're not in an era where it's okay for partners to be shouters and verbally abusive anymore (or at least we shouldn't be), not even mega rainmakers and name partners. This is part of a good shift in the profession.

[JorgeMichael]

Good riddance. We're not in an era where it's okay for partners to be shouters and verbally abusive anymore (or at least we shouldn't be), not even mega rainmakers and name partners. This is part of a good shift in the profession.

Agreed. It's unclear what the future of Hecker Fink will be now but I got the sense that although Kaplan brought in some high-profile work, a lot of the revenue generation was done by Hecker, so hopefully the firm is able to continue to grow without her toxic presence.

[Anonymous User]

Good riddance. We're not in an era where it's okay for partners to be shouters and verbally abusive anymore (or at least we shouldn't be), not even mega rainmakers and name partners. This is part of a good shift in the profession.

Agreed. It's unclear what the future of Hecker Fink will be now but I got the sense that although Kaplan brought in some high-profile work, a lot of the revenue generation was done by Hecker, so hopefully the firm is able to continue to grow without her toxic presence.

I hope so too, although as someone with no inside information, it does seem like her reputation and connections as a high-profile liberal lion and Democratic insider bringing in cases like E. Jean Carroll, Charlottesville etc. was a major part of the firm's identity and workload. They're selling something different to candidates if they're just another elite commercial lit boutique with no particular political valence.

[Anonymous User]

Hecker is a very good white-collar defense lawyer, but a firm with him as the main rainmaker probably looks more like a pure white-collar boutique than Kaplan Hecker’s previous emphasis (from my outside perspective). Note that part of Kaplan's own explanation for her departure was that she doesn't like white-collar work.

Also Kaplan being awful was an open secret for a very long time, I never understood why top talent was willing to work there, but if she survived this long I’m surprised she got her comeuppance in the end

[JorgeMichael]

The "meatball incident" is kind of hilarious, Kaplan truly was an absolute psycho:

Many former employees recalled Ms. Kaplan’s publicly berating case managers, who are young, low-ranking employees. Once she verbally attacked a case manager who disobeyed her command not to include meatballs in a pizza order. Ms. Kaplan’s fury was so remarkable that a lawyer took notes, which The Times reviewed. The notes described the meatball incident as one of a few examples in which Ms. Kaplan “publicly derided” the case manager “both to her face and behind her back.”

[sleepyzombie]

Surprised it took this long given her reputation tbh. Though I guess I shouldn’t be, based on how Dahlia Lithwick and other legal literati have jumped to her defense.

[Joachim2017]

Yes, this was an open secret for a long time now. We all knew about Kaplan's treatment of other people at her firm. She escaped accountability because of her connections and her politics. Even now, the reasons given for her departure, and the fact that they are mostly accepted/minimized, shows the hypocrisy and two-sided nature of social movements like the ones she has been exploiting for her own benefit for some years now.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if this truly fixed the issue? I've heard she wasn't the only difficult personality at the firm. Are Hecker and the white-collar sect generally known for being easy to work for?

[Anonymous User]

Interesting stuff in the NY Times report: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/28/busi ... aplan.html


Some of the more choice quotes:

"In the midst of the #MeToo movement, Ms. Kaplan told colleagues that she was too smart to ever have been sexually assaulted."

"Once, she told a female associate that the associate was more suited to “back of house” work because of her appearance. Another time, Ms. Kaplan said the same associate was too much of a “dyke” to clerk for the Supreme Court."

"Once she verbally attacked a case manager who disobeyed her command not to include meatballs in a pizza order. Ms. Kaplan’s fury was so remarkable that a lawyer took notes."

"Ms. Kaplan’s co-counsel from Paul Weiss, the veteran trial lawyer Karen Dunn, called out Ms. Kaplan’s behavior during a heated meeting, saying she had never seen another lawyer treat people so poorly."

She sounds like my mom.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if this truly fixed the issue? I've heard she wasn't the only difficult personality at the firm. Are Hecker and the white-collar sect generally known for being easy to work for?

Bump. Can anyone advise on this?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if this truly fixed the issue? I've heard she wasn't the only difficult personality at the firm. Are Hecker and the white-collar sect generally known for being easy to work for?

Bump. Can anyone advise on this?

Bumping too. Would love to hear any current or recent insight into the firm's culture post-Kaplan.

[The Lsat Airbender]

Does anyone know if this truly fixed the issue? I've heard she wasn't the only difficult personality at the firm. Are Hecker and the white-collar sect generally known for being easy to work for?

Bump. Can anyone advise on this?

Bumping too. Would love to hear any current or recent insight into the firm's culture post-Kaplan.

For any definition of "fixed the issue" that makes sense to me, it's too soon to tell, but in any case I wouldn't bank on the partners at an elite boutique being "easy to work for"

[Anonymous User]

Bumping as well. Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

[sleepyzombie]

Bumping as well. Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Fishbowl might be better for answers