Ex-DLA Piper Partner Accused in Lawsuit of Raping Associate (2)

A former DLA Piper partner is accused of raping an associate he mentored after a work dinner at the firm’s Delaware office, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

The former associate, referred to as Jane Doe in the complaint, said intellectual property partner Brian Biggs sexually harassed and assaulted her while both lawyers were working for DLA Piper. She also alleged that Biggs had a reputation for heavy drinking and inappropriate workplace conduct directed at younger female attorneys, which was well-known across the firm.

Biggs hung up when reached by phone for comment. “We will address this lawsuit through the appropriate channels,” said a spokesperson for DLA Piper, which is also being sued.

Biggs took an early interest in the associate after meeting her at a 2022 firm meeting in Orlando, Fla., according to the lawsuit filed in Suffolk County Superior Court in Massachusetts. He became her mentor after pressing the Boston office’s managing partner for details about the associate’s life, including a recent divorce and miscarriage.

Biggs allegedly went on to “isolate” the associate, insisting he was her only ally at the large international firm and convincing her that her career relied on his support. He often traveled to the Boston office where she worked, and in December 2022, insisted she be in Delaware, the lawsuit said.

The associate, after a Dec. 12 dinner, was recalled to the firm’s Wilmington office by a text from Biggs, according to the complaint. She allegedly found Biggs sitting on the floor near a printer bay and asked him if he was OK.

The lawsuit said an intoxicated Biggs then pulled her to the ground, confessing his love for her and attempting to kiss and grope her. She resisted, but he dragged her down the hallway into a conference room.

She “froze, became numb, and went into survival mode,” the lawsuit said, as Biggs allegedly raped her. The associate said she experienced post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Biggs also in July 2024 allegedly followed the associate home from a bar in Boston, broke into her home, and choked her. He later wrote her an email apologizing for breaking into her house, the suit said.

The lawsuit said the associate took a leave of absence from DLA Piper and considered her career there over. Biggs left DLA Piper and later joined Ashby & Geddes.

“The firm was notified in January 2025 of a romantic relationship between a partner and an associate, which we investigated promptly,” the DLA Piper spokesperson said. “The associate made no allegations of rape to the firm. Following the firm’s review, the partner immediately withdrew from the firm; the associate remained employed at the firm until she resigned on December 12.”

‘Deeply Toxic Workplace Cultures’

Sexual harassment and assault are “an open secret” within the legal profession, Jonathan Pollard, a lawyer for the associate, said in an email.

“Many large law firms have deeply toxic workplace cultures,” Pollard said. “When the bad actor is a powerful partner, there is often no meaningful accountability. Heavy drinking and unchecked power frequently factor into these cases.”

The suit comes some six years after DLA Piper was accused of shielding a rainmaker from a colleague’s accusations of sexual assault. Silicon Valley partner Louis Lehot left the firm in 2019 amid accusations that he sexually assaulted Vanina Guerrero, a newer partner in the same office. Lehot, now a partner at Foley & Lardner, denied the allegations and said they stemmed from a consensual relationship.

DLA Piper is among the country’s largest law firms, bringing in more than $4.2 billion in gross revenue last year. The firm’s equity partners earned nearly $3.5 million in average profits.

The new complaint alleges hostile work environment, quid-pro-quo sexual harassment, and retaliation claims against DLA Piper and an assault and battery claim against Biggs. The unnamed associate is seeking at least $10.6 million in damages. She is represented by Pollard PLLC and Shah Litigation PLLC.

The case is Doe v. DLA Piper LLP (US), Mass. Super. Ct., No. 2584CV03465, complaint filed 12/15/25.