Alfred W. Zaher, a longtime partner at the Blank Rome law firm, filed suit last week, alleging he was pressured to leave the firm due to its homophobic work environment.
Zaher was a partner at Blank Rome between 2006-14, specializing in intellectual-property rights. The firm, which is headquartered in Center City, has about 540 attorneys serving clients throughout the world.
In a 25-page complaint, Zaher claims his days at the firm became numbered after he organized an LGBT-equity event attended by 70 attorneys at the firm’s Center City office.
The event allegedly wasn’t appreciated by Blank Rome chairman and managing partner Alan J. Hoffman.
“[B]ased upon his apparent disdain for Zaher’s open advocacy for gay rights in the legal community, Hoffman often made unfounded and disrespectful comments in open meetings of firm attorneys, disparaging Zaher’s mannerisms and dress, and Hoffman displayed strong discontent and disapproval when Zaher organized and held a meeting of approximately 70 LGBT attorneys,” the complaint alleges.
After the LGBT event, things went decidedly south for Zaher, the suit states.
Two Blank Rome attorneys participated in a scheme to “steal” Zaher’s clients by conveying that Zaher had “ethical issues” and intended to leave the firm, according to Zaher’s complaint.
Attorneys Timothy D. Pescanye and Matthew A. Homyk are named as defendants in Zaher’s complaint, along with Hoffman.
Zaher maintains he had no intention of leaving the firm when misinformation about his supposed departure was conveyed to clients.
During his eight years at Blank Rome, Zaher attracted numerous clients and amassed considerable wealth for the firm, according to his complaint.
Zaher voluntarily left the firm in July 2014 due to its allegedly hostile work environment and currently works at the Center City law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll.
Prior to Zaher’s departure, Blank Rome officials considered expelling him due to “the vague and indeterminate statement that unidentified firm partners allegedly ‘lost confidence’ in Zaher,” according to Zaher’s complaint.
In court papers, Zaher called the firm’s actions against him “an unwarranted and aggressive attack on a productive partner for contrived and highly personal reasons.”
He’s seeking an unspecified amount in compensatory and punitive damages. “[D]efendants’ actions were undertaken in bad faith and are so shocking, outrageous and invidious as to warrant an award of punitive damages,” states Zaher’s complaint.
Counts against the defendants include wrongful conversion of property, civil conspiracy, tortious interference, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of partnership agreement.
Zaher allegedly is owed money for loans he made to the firm, along with his share of the firm’s profits for 2014. He seeks a judicial order for Blank Rome to pay all monies owed to him, and to desist from interfering with his future livelihood by disparaging him.
Blank Rome issued this statement about Zaher’s lawsuit:
“We are not at liberty to comment on the details of Mr. Zaher’s complaint, as our partnership agreement prohibits both partners and the firm from making any statements. The firm will defend itself vigorously against Mr. Zaher’s baseless charges. For more than 70 years, Blank Rome has been committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment. We are proud of the distinction we received — under Alan Hoffman’s leadership and support — for achieving a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2016 Corporate Equality Index in recognition of our policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality.”
Zaher and his attorneys declined to comment for this story.