Paul Bryant, once a Covington & Burling rising star, says a partner at the firm called him a ‘n—r’
Covington & Burling, the white shoe law firm where former attorney general Eric Holder serves as senior counsel and has conducted exorbitantly priced diversity audits for corporate clients, is facing accusations of racism from one of its former associates.
Paul Bryant, a West Point graduate, Columbia Law School alumnus, and self-described “Black, Neurodivergent former 5th year” Covington associate, detailed the claims in a series of colorful LinkedIn posts. He alleges that a Covington partner, Kyle Rabe, “called me a ‘n—r’ after I defended myself and my reputation in response to him trying to pressure me to quit.”
Rabe did so, Bryant says, at the urging of “Covington’s management” after Bryant told another partner that he “would not write SEC disclosures in support of anti-minority and anti-women based initiatives.” Bryant says he “almost went away silently” after Covington offered to give him “resume writing services” as part of a settlement.
“I considered this option,” Bryant writes, “but when Covington & Burling LLP began to unwarrantedly defame me to young impressionable Black attorneys, I knew I had to speak up.”
The firm has honored Bryant in the past: Four months ago, Covington posted its own message to LinkedIn congratulating him “for being named to the National Black Lawyers Top 40 under 40.”
It is unclear what “anti-minority and anti-women based initiatives” Bryant declined to work on. Bryant did not respond to a request for comment. But Covington has leaned into diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, including through Holder’s practice.
The former attorney general has conducted pricey “racial equity audits” for corporations, including a 2021 report for Starbucks that urged the coffee giant to tie executive pay to diversity targets, set spending goals for “diverse suppliers,” and launch a mentorship program for “BIPOC” employees.
Though Holder has charged as much as $2,295 an hour for such work, his report did not pay off for Starbucks, which was sued a year later for violating non-discrimination laws.
Bryant referenced Holder in a comment posted to his LinkedIn. “Also…where was Eric Holder?” wrote Ron Jordan, a founder of the Maryland-based firm Carter-White & Shaw. “Salient question,” replied Bryant.
Holder, the chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, has spent much of his time in recent days on left-wing cable news shows voicing support for gerrymandering efforts in blue states.
Bryant says he tried to settle his differences with Covington privately before taking the matter public, extending a “private offer of settlement” to Covington partner and employment lawyer Lindsay Burke, though the firm “failed to meet the conditions.” He is now calling for Rabe’s dismissal, an apology from the firm, and $42 million in various payments. In another post, he pledged to “solicit the help of the President, Donald J. Trump to strike an adequate deal with Covington, since our executive administration has recently demonstrated an exceptional ability to garner favorable deals from law firms like Covington.”
“It is actually my faith that the Commander-In-Chief will hear of this story and provide the leverage I need to effect needed change in your system, a system which the President has rightfully began [sic] to investigate,” Bryant wrote. “We (the marginalized, non-white male, highly educated populace) are patiently awaiting your response. Respectfully, the ‘n—r’ who also happens to be a Cravath-trained dealmaker.”
A Covington spokesman denied Bryant’s allegations.
“The allegations made by Mr. Bryant and its partners are categorically false and repugnant,” the spokesman said. “The firm will vigorously defend itself and our colleagues and intends to explore all available remedies in response to these outrageous claims.”
Editor’s Note: The Free Beacon is a Covington & Burling client. But the firm, which once represented the Free Beacon in matters of defamation and employment, no longer does so after Burke, the Covington partner, and the firm’s Of Counsel, Jason Criss, cited a conflict of interest given their discomfort with the Free Beacon‘s coverage of Holder’s practice. The Beacon has not had Covington conduct a racial equity audit.
Read the full article here
