The Massachusetts attorney general’s office has reportedly received an anonymous ethics complaint targeting William Lee, a top-notch attorney at WilmerHale. The complaint questions the firm’s long-term engagement with Harvard University, a prestigious institution where Lee has actively participated on its governing board for more than ten years. Bloomberg Law reported.
WilmerHale presented a strong defense for Harvard’s race-based admission policy against legal challenges poised by conservative groups, a battle that ended unfavorably for the university at the Supreme Court last summer. Moreover, the firm had prepped ex-Harvard president Claudine Gay for a congressional hearing that significantly marred her reputation concerning antisemitism allegations, eventually leading to her exit.
However, the fact that Lee, who is also a Harvard alum, was simultaneously serving on the university board while his law firm was contracted to represent Harvard, doesn’t inherently implicate any malpractice, opined Stephen Gillers, a legal ethics professor at New York University.
Lee, a leading trial lawyer for Harvard in the affirmative action litigation, is alleged of conflict of interest in the complaint filed with the Massachusetts attorney general’s office. According to the New York Post, the complaint claims Lee violated conflict of interest rules applicable to public institutions.
While WilmerHale has issued a statement denying any impropriety in its legal representations for Harvard, the Massachusetts AG’s office has not disclosed whether it will launch a formal investigation.
Harvard is yet to respond to requests for comments on this unfolding situation. However, the school had previously informed the Harvard Crimson in 2018 that Lee didn’t bill the school for his work on the affirmative action case. It was also clarified that he did not receive any payment based on the firm’s billing for the case to Harvard.
Notably, Harvard’s legal expenses increased significantly during its legal battle against a conservative group over its affirmative action policies. As reported by Bloomberg News, the increase in legal expenses rose from $13.4 million in fiscal 2017 to a whopping $27.4 million in 2018.
In conclusion, it remains to be seen how this anonymous ethics complaint pans out and whether it causes any significant impact on WilmerHale’s previous work with Harvard or its future endeavors.