Leaked Emails Show Years of Sexist, Racist Language by Barber Ranen Leaders
The firm's founding partners have projected a message of inclusion and empowerment when sharing their motivation for launching a new firm.
June 05, 2023 at 11:31 AM
5 minute read
Law Firm PartnersThe original version of this story was published on The American Lawyer
What You Need to Know
- Barber Ranen was launched based on principles of respect for colleagues yet years' worth of emails between the firm's founders run counter to that message.
- The emails show sexist, racist and antisemitic language casually used between John Barber and Jeff Ranen, founding partners of the firm.
Editors note: John Barber and Jeff Ranen resigned from their roles on Monday afternoon. Click here for further coverage of this story. Founding partners of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith spinoff Barber Ranen for years have referred to colleagues using misogynistic, homophobic and antisemitic language, according to emails that have been obtained by The American Lawyer. "Kill her by anal penetration," Barber Ranen managing partner John Barber said in a June 15, 2012, email to fellow founding partner Jeff Ranen, currently serving as the firm's chief operating officer, when discussing an employee's overtime pay request. Barber's remark came alongside Ranen's remark to Barber, "By the way, Jew, you owe me $100." Newly disclosed emails, reported on Saturday by The New York Post, run contrary to the message of inclusion and empowerment that Barber and Ranen have projected to the media regarding their motivation for founding their new firm. "One of the key components of the 'why' is creating an environment where people are afforded the opportunity to become the best they can be, whether it's the best file clerk or the best lawyer or the best receptionist," Barber told The American Lawyer in a May Q&A. "And you do that by communicating very clearly the value you place upon them, by creating an environment which is safe and nurturing." Yet the newly disclosed emails suggest a different tone taken by the partners in email correspondence. In an email exchange in March 2022, Barber told Ranen and another partner at Lewis Brisbois that a certain Los Angeles Superior Court judge "loves" being called "sugar tits." Barber Ranen was launched at the end of April by former equity partners leading Lewis Brisbois' national employment department, recruiting more than 100 lawyers from their prior firm. Court records show a number of Lewis Brisbois clients have switched representation to the newly created firm. The emails have surfaced following an anonymous complaint lodged against Barber and Ranen to a member of Lewis Brisbois' management committee concerning the lawyers' behavior, said a spokesperson for the Lewis Brisbois management committee. "In keeping with firm policies, the management committee immediately began an investigation and were shocked to find dozens of emails between John Barber and Jeff Ranen with unacceptable, prejudiced language aimed at our colleagues, clients, attorneys from other firms, and even judges," said a statement on behalf of the committee. "Though we are continuing to conduct a broader review of Barber and Ranen's behavior at the firm, including a full review of their correspondence—as well as interviewing other employees who interacted with the pair—because the lawyers in question are no longer with the firm, we are taking no disciplinary action at this time." A source familiar with Lewis Brisbois said the firm has brought in a diversity and inclusion consultant to advise the firm on the investigation as well as all of the firm's HR and harassment policies. Antisemitic language was commonly used by Barber and Ranen when ribbing each other over unpaid money and discussing their negotiations on pricing with vendors, the emails show. "Do I Jew her down to $1,000 or will that create some bad will given our relationship and the fact that $200 isn't much to me anymore?" Ranen asked Barber regarding an office redesign on Dec. 30, 2014. "Since when can we not make Jew jokes? Fucking society …" Ranen said in a later email Feb. 28, 2015. In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, Ranen sent Barber a May 31 email stating "Fucking looters came within a mile and a half. I can't even imagine what it was like living in Larchmont in 1992 when the savages decimated Koreatown." Barber said in response, "Just to illustrate my enlightenment, as buildings burned within a mile or so that night, we had a party, got wasted and yelled inappropriate things from the balcony. It's a wonder I'm still alive." In a July 2012 email, Ranen said to Barber that "gypsy" was his "new word to describe about half the minorities in California. Generally with an Armo, Persian or middle eastern flair." This came after Barber asked him about Ramin Younessi, whom Ranen said he had three cases against him. "Volume based gypsy practice," Ranen said. "Has a few associates who do all the work. Doesn't go to trial but is a surprisingly tough negotiator due to his Persian background." In a 2012 email exchange, Ranen said "Just debating on whether to spite bang her if we bump into each other," about a colleague. Ranen had asked who the colleague was traveling with on a certain trip. A few days later on Nov. 12, Barber offered a word of caution: "You need to be way more careful with what you put in writing. "I'm sure you're right. Pot – Kettle – Black," responded to Ranen. "I 'woke up' more than a year ago. Cautious now," Barber responded. A spokesperson for Barber Ranen did not respond to a request for comment. This story has been updated to include a statement by the management committee of Lewis Brisbois. A previous version of this story revealed the name of a judge subject to an unflattering nickname in the leaked emails. That name has been removed.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Related Stories
View AllYou Might Like
View AllHow I Made Partner: 'Develop a Practice Area You Really Care About ,' Says Jennifer Gniady of Stradley Ronon
How I Made Office Managing Partner: 'When the Firm Needs Something Done, Raise Your Hand,' Says Eric Kennedy of Buchalter
How I Made Partner: 'Persevere Through the Challenging Times,' Says Jennifer Daglio of Hunton Andrews Kurth
Law Firms Mentioned
Trending Stories
- 1First California Zantac Jury Ends in Mistrial
- 2Democrats Give Up Circuit Court Picks for Trial Judges in Reported Deal with GOP
- 3Trump Taps Former Fla. Attorney General for AG
- 4Newsom Names Two Judges to Appellate Courts in San Francisco, Orange County
- 5Biden Has Few Ways to Protect His Environmental Legacy, Say Lawyers, Advocates
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250