‘A work of fiction’: Major law firm to investigate ‘disparaging’ all-staff email

An extraordinary firm-wide email circulated at one of Australia’s biggest legal practices, purportedly sent by its outgoing chief people officer, is set to be reported to police.

As first reported by The Australian Financial Review, on the morning of Friday 21 February, an email which BCC’d all staff at one of Australia’s biggest plaintiff law firms, Slater and Gordon – purportedly sent by outgoing acting chief people officer Mari Ruiz-Matthyssen – contained, among other things, a spreadsheet revealing the salaries of over 900 staff, as well as allegations about supposed dysfunction at the firm.

According to AFR, the email at first appeared to be a handover document to the incoming chief people officer.

HR Leader is not suggesting that the allegations and opinions expressed in the email, and which have been widely reported, are true.

In a statement provided to HR Leader, a spokesperson for Slater and Gordon for the firm said that its interim chief people officer “is not the author or the sender of that email, nor is that email address attributed to her”.

She intends, the spokesperson advised, to report the matter to police.

“The contents of the email include a range of disparaging remarks about individuals – what is presented as internal information in the email is incorrect and in many ways a work of fiction,” the spokesperson continued.

The firm is taking the matter seriously and will be investigating further, it said, “due to the distress this has caused many of our team”.

It will also, the spokesperson added, “cooperate fully with any police action or investigation”.

HR Leader has sought comment from Ms Ruiz-Matthyssen.

The news follows an eventful two years for the national plaintiff firm.

In December, the firm overwhelmingly voted in favour of an enterprise agreement with the Australian Services Union, through which than 600 Slater & Gordon staff will be able to access significant increased employee benefits.

A few months earlier, in July, identified a payroll error in leave accrual, which it believes has resulted in a collective underpayment of at least $300,000 for around 100 of its current and former employees. As a result, the firm self-reported to the Fair Work Commission.

Earlier that month, the firm promoted 42 lawyers to more senior roles, including three to senior practice leader and six to practice leader, and later in July.

It also follows the firm’s takeover by private equity firm Allegro Funds and subsequent de-listing from the ASX, as reported extensively by Lawyers Weekly in 2023.