Legislation Company Main Bexar Opioid Accommodate Loses Lover, Staff Who Assert Abuse

A single of the regulation companies managing Bexar County’s billion dollar lawsuit against opioid brands is in uproar right after a number of workers resigned, citing a hostile get the job done natural environment and abuses from director Martin Phipps.

Phipps operates the law company Phipps Deacon and Purnell, which at moments does business as Phipps Mayes. Accusations about Phipps’ integrity and therapy of ladies emerged on Twitter from TJ Mayes, a previous associate at the business.

“I resigned from the Phipps firm immediately after I grew to become confident devoid of a shred of a doubt that Martin Phipps is a crook and a serial abuser of females,” Mayes tweeted Wednesday morning.

The organization denied the statements.

“Unfortunately, social media gives any one the system to spew unfounded libelous accusations,” reported Gabe Ortiz, yet another law firm for the business speaking on its behalf.

In a criticism dealt with to the U.S. Equal Work Prospect Commission (EEOC) acquired by TPR, Mayes and others termed the office “hostile” and “abusive.”

“We deal in significant stakes, substantial stress litigation,” said Ortiz, referencing the county’s opioid lawsuit.

Mayes said in the letter that law enforcement officials experienced audio recordings proving that “Martin Phipps believes in his ‘duty to kill’ those people people whom he thinks have wronged them (sic).”

The EEOC complaint integrated a letter to Phipps signed by 6 employees that pointed out far more than a dozen “personality characteristics,” which includes “misogyny” and “sadism.”

“This difficulty has been growing around a period of yrs and has accelerated in latest months. This have to transform,” said the letter.

Meagan Talafuse was between the personnel who signed the letter.

“Martin Phipps stated to me on numerous events his intention to kill Ms. Talafuse,” said Mayes in the EEOC complaint. A statement that was corroborated by an additional previous personnel.

Talafuse remains at the law company. TPR could not attain her for remark.

Just about everybody who signed the letter promptly resigned when it was sent on Jan. 11.

Condition Rep. Diego Bernal’s legislation firm experienced a marriage with the company. He verified that the romance finished all-around that time.

“I’ve hardly ever felt threatened,” explained Ortiz.

Ortiz — who has been with the business for five decades — admitted he was a difficult man or woman to offend but claimed the Martin Phipps explained in the letter was unrecognizable. Ortiz mentioned he couldn’t speculate on the motivations of people who remaining.

Mayes, a former main of employees to Bexar County Choose Nelson Wolff, verified he despatched the EEOC grievance dated Jan 19. Mayes declined to remark additional, referring TPR to his attorney.

He joined the agency two decades ago. Phipps and he reportedly shaped Phipps Mayes in August 2020.

In his resignation letter to the organization, Mayes stated that Phipps was making an attempt to defraud his creditors, and conspiring to damage community paperwork connected to his flash relationship to employee Brenda Vega. The marriage was annulled shortly thereafter. Mayes reported — in his resignation — he noticed Phipps psychologically abusing Vega.

Ortiz confirmed that Vega no longer labored for the company but stated he had under no circumstances witnessed any abuse.

The opioid lawsuit is in opposition to numerous dozen organizations such as Perdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, for techniques that could have inspired the opioid epidemic that claimed various hundred lives in San Antonio. The city was not a social gathering to the county’s go well with.

It was not distinct if Phipps’ business would proceed to tackle the opioid litigation for the county.

“We’ve all read the allegations,” Wolff mentioned. He stated that the civil legal professional with the Bexar County District Attorney’s business office was examining the circumstance, and so significantly believes they are “only allegations.”

When TPR asked Wolff if the county would go on to use the firm, he responded, “I really don’t know what will happen.”

“For two several years, this agency has devoted thousands and thousands of bucks and countless numbers of male hours to do what is ideal by the citizens of Bexar County and keep the multibillion greenback pharmaceutical businesses accountable for the hurt they have prompted,” Ortiz explained.

“The people who departed had no litigation encounter and were being not section of the trial group that we have assembled,” he added.

Ortiz mentioned he wished Mayes and others could have sorted out the troubles of the company in private.

Phipps’ organization is not the only 1 symbolizing the county in the subject. Mikal Watts of Watts Guerra also represents the county.

In accordance to Wolff, the trial day is presently a year absent. That day has been pushed back at minimum two periods already. It was submitted in 2018.

In December, the San Antonio Categorical-Information described that Watts’ business and Phipps’ disagreed on the route forward with the situation. Watts had signed on to a likely settlement with Texas Attorney Standard Ken Paxton that would have presented the county an approximated $7 million. Phipps’ firm reportedly required to hold out for far more.

This was the 2nd time in three years that Phipps saw higher-profile departures by legal colleagues. In September 2019, Daniel Griffin and Simon Purnell departed the company. Phipps reportedly sued a former staff, Jason Reichl, together with 3 others accusing them of stealing more than $12 million from the agency.

Ortiz mentioned the sector as a total generally sees substantial turnover.

The letter from the departing attorneys to Phipps referenced the firm’s economic strain. Phipps is presently becoming sued in federal courtroom about the possession of a Gulfstream Jet G-IV that he purchased with this business R.A.S.H. and leased to his then legislation business Phipps Anderson Deacon.

“R.A.S.H. and Phipps are at the moment in payment arrears for 3 (3) whole months of payments in the sum of $187,122.15,” explained legal professionals for PNC Products Economic in courtroom documents.

PNC financed the order of the $3.4 million jet. The lender claims it is owed $1.7 million for the default.

It was close to this time that Mayes referred in his resignation letter to a voluntary spend reduce that he and other staff members took. The shell out lower was confirmed by other previous staff.

In accordance to the letter to Phipps, his former employees were being worried about his mental health and fitness and that he could be a danger to himself and other people. Two other previous personnel TPR spoke to echoed those people considerations.

Ortiz reiterated that this wasn’t what he observed at the agency.

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