Paul Hastings, the law firm hired to conduct a “comprehensive review” of the Lincoln Project’s “operations and culture,” could be hard-pressed to deliver a credible result given several of its senior partners have donated to the scandal-plagued super PAC.
Greg Nitzkowski, the firm’s managing partner of more than two decades, donated $3,000 to the Lincoln Project in 2020, according to federal election records. Elena Baca, who chairs the firm’s employment law department, has donated almost $2,000 to the Lincoln Project.
According to her bio on the Paul Hastings website, Baca is “considered a ‘go-to’ employment lawyer for many large employers with high-profile disputes involving high-level executives and contentious high-stakes litigation.” She has won praise for her “aggressive approach” to defending clients against “claims of sex discrimination and retaliation.”
The Lincoln Project could soon require the services of an attorney with Baca’s skill set. The group’s only female cofounder, Jennifer Horn, has instructed the group (via her lawyer) to retain documents in anticipation of a lawsuit. Horn, who resigned from the group on Feb. 5, has made allegations of abusive and demeaning treatment by Lincoln Project executives.
Three other Paul Hastings partners have donated money to the Lincoln Project: Sam Alavi, whose clients include the Qatar Investment Authority; Joseph Profaizer, who has defended Chinese firms against allegations of intellectual property theft from U.S. competitors; and Steven Marenberg, who previously represented Donald Trump and NBC Universal in a copyright case involving The Apprentice.
The Lincoln Project announced on Monday that it has retained Paul Hastings for the purpose of conducting an internal investigation. “We are committed to creating a positive, diverse, and inclusive workplace environment at The Lincoln Project, and inappropriate behavior by anyone associated with the organization will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” the group said in a statement.