(Laid-off) Lawyer of the Day: Sex Novelist Deidre Dare Sues Allen & Overy
Deidre Dare was our Lawyer of the Day Weekend back in January. Judging from the traffic on that post, we assume most of you know her story. If not, here are the quick and dirty details:
Dare, a Columbia Law grad, was a senior associate in Allen & Overy’s Moscow office. She was having fun expat adventures and decided to write about them in an online novella that included lots of alcohol, drugs, sex, donkeys, and dwarves. A&O was not a fan of one of its lawyers publishing porn online and made her stop writing it. Then, A&O fired her.
And the firm, unwisely perhaps, revealed exactly why it fired her (instead of just silently including her in the 10% layoff sweep, which resulted in the booting of many in the Moscow office, including Deidre’s Russian boyfriend). From a firm statement published by the Lawyer at the time:
Following our normal disciplinary process, we found that Ms Dare’s behaviour - in publishing the material she did in the professional name under which she practises, and the way that she has responded to a number of reasonable requests from us since - was unacceptable and totally at odds with the standards of behaviour that we expect from all of our people.We’ve therefore terminated her employment.
Well, Deidre e-mailed us this morning with an update on her situation:
I know how you all love to hate me, so I thought you’d be interested in the following news!
Obviously, Deidre doesn’t know us well, if she thinks we would hate a lawyer-turned-porn-writer. We couldn’t imagine much out there that we’d rather write about. While we wait for her to accept our Facebook friend request, we’ll tell you a bit more about what Deidre’s up to these days.
Hint: rather than legal memos, she’s penning lines like, “I am a dirty girl. I am dirty in bed and I’m happy to be dirty anywhere else if the need arises.”
After being fired by Allen & Overy, Deidre Dare decided to stay in Moscow. Now, she’s writing a column for the Moscow News called sExpat (see recent columns here and here). She told the Bitter Lawyer in February:
I love writing it. I love being a columnist. I love my editor. I love the paper. It is the coolest job ever.
She also told the Bitter Lawyer that she plans to “sex up” her online novel, make its heroine Dasha much sluttier, and then publish it.
Until then though, she’s focusing on her lawsuit. She told us:
I filed in the UK at their employment tribunal but my lawyer (who is a plaintiff contingency dude) says that we are also going to high court. I’ll take this to the European Commission on Human Rights if I have to. I mean, it still boggles my mind: fired for writing a book? Ridiculous. I’d have preferred to sue in States but there were too many jurisdictional questions. I guess we’ll find out about UK but with the sexual obsession/love triangle bit and then they fire me: I’m pretty confident even the UK (which is very establishment, obviously) will see how unfair it all was.
Our response was along the lines of, “Huh? Sexual obsession/love triangle bit?”
Oh. I fooled around with [important person at A&O] and then he got all upset b/c I started dating a younger Russian guy and then he told me to get another job and then I filed a grievance against him (b/c I was a big rainmaker and it was ridiculous of him to get rid of me) and then he complained about the website to London (it had been up FOREVER and read by everyone) and then they fired me. All reeks of witch hunt/retaliation.
We promise to continue to keep you posted about Deidre’s adventures moving forward… or at least the ones that occur at the courthouse.
Earlier: Lawyer of the Weekend: Deidre Dare
A&O sacks erotic-fiction writing associate [The Lawyer]
News Review interview: Deidre Dare [Times Online]
Philosophy Can Be Sexy [Deidre Dare]
Miss Dare, the £150,000 lawyer, told to stop putting porn on the net [Daily Mail]
Sex novelist lawyer Deidre Dare sues for being sacked [The Mirror]
Era of Deidre [Bitter Lawyer]
(94) Comments
Comments
First to say, "that's hot."
Fuckin Skank.
Once Cap and Trade is passed, big mean law firms will not be able to fire people for publishing online novellas.
We love you Kash.
Don't law firms impliedly promise upon hiring that associates can publish whatever they want by not seeking or obtaining an agreement to the contrary? If so, I think she has a claim for promissory estoppel.
Borrrrrring
Borrrrrring
Borrrrrring
Borrring
I'm horny. Kash, will you meet me in the lobby for some sex?
If you open Deidre's site using the Firefox browser platform, it becomes MUCH more interactive.
Dangerously interactive.
If you click on the link for the site it says she is 43 and the picture there is heinous. please explain this discrepancy.
Too bad she is not hot, at all
Why are all of my comments getting deleted? Why does my boss keep staring at me?
She might have a shot under employment law -- but (and I'm just thinking out loud here) does anyone think she might have a better claim founded in reliance (ie, promissory estoppel)? That is, if she moved to Moscow based on the firm's promise of employment and salary, she may be able to use Restatement 90 to show that she relied on the firm's promise and thus is owed lost wages.
15 = 1L gunner trying to impress ATL commenters with his elementary knowledge of first-year contract law.
Who said all lawyers are whores.
@16, I am a 4L gunner thank you very much.
GULC
the only people allowed to make substantive legal comments in this thread should be UK or Russia qualified.
Are there still 1Ls out there? Why do people keep enrolling in law school? There are NO JOBS out there!
Do not want.
15: see 5.
16: fail.
Sometimes it is better not to include a picture.
22 -
15>5
I am in high school. Should I go to college?
15 -- the best part of your post, besides being validated to a certain degree on that other blog, is that you use the "just thinking out loud" disclaimer -- it adds a certain sense of realism that makes it credible.
Perhaps the only shtick to actually serve as the basis for a law suit.
I have a depo in Sioux City, can anyone recommend a good rub n' tug by the airport?
Can i just say - the ATL Career Center is simply AMAZING !!! Good job ATL !
Good for her
I'll sue you in England!!!
You are so sued!!!
OMG, the ATL Career Center is so cool! I only wish that I could comment on the post! I would only say good things about it.
--Everyone
26, only before you've read the disclaimer dozens of times.
why do i see ads now? adblock used to keep out all that crap
The legally relevant inquiry is how dirty is she? Is she open to mungering? Is she a mungerer or mungeree? I hope someone has the courage to dig up answers to these questions.
Holy shit she's OLD. How is a 43 year old only an associate?
From her website, under the "Deidre Dare's Philosophy and Quotes" section:
“In order to succeed at marriage, you must fail at yourself.” (From, the “Marriage Delusion”)
"You know how they say we only use 10% of our brains? I think people also use only 10% of their lives....." November, 2008.
l
o
l
LOL @ "I was a big rainmaker..."
So her site is down now? For shame.
36 - in the "golden shower" sense, i'm sure.
5, couldn't you also argue that there is an implied standard of behavior in an employment contract not to publish smut? Especially when said smut is written and marketing under one's own name, which is clearly associated with the firm?
I concur with 31: The ATL Career Center is awesome!
I wouldn't mind giving her a good mungering. But then again I am old school, and inform all of my secretaries that their asses should be available for pounding at any given moment.
Locke Lord Dallas
24=15
38=awesome
Is Kasowitz prestigious in NY circles?
I think it was pretty dumb of her to do this under her real name. Nonetheless, I think she'll clean A&O's clock in court. I can't believe a big law firm would be so openly, publicly stupid. She'll get millions.
Why is her real name a porn name?
This is stupid. Use a pen name at least. She deserved to get fired.
There once was a woman named Dare
Who publicly laid her lewdness bare,
Which disgraced A&O
Among those in the know
So she now doesn't work anywhere.
--Above the Limerick
I call "bullshit" on two counts (1) that she is big rainmaker and (2) anyone had sex with her - even a drunk russian wouldn't touch that shit.
Uh...why does anyone think she'll win anything from the firm? She wrote publicly about using illegal drugs and showing up work inebriated or hung over. That's grounds to fire anyone, whether they wrote about it in a serialized novel or whether they simply told someone who told the boss.
I used the ATL Career Center and quickly obtained a 3500 square foot office and a Lexus.
I love 'non-porn' as much as the next guy, but she is simply not good looking enough for her "sexy" photo to be...well sexy
There has not been anything called "the European Commission on Human Rights" since late 1998.
I am afraid neither Ms. D. nor her 'contingency dude' know what they're talking about.
Associates and staff can get let go for nothing, but this whore thinks she has a case?
She's a cunt.
50 -- It's "Lexis," douchebag.
How much does your wife weigh, again?
She must be pretty rich if she was willing to take that paycut.
She must be pretty rich if she was willing to take that paycut.
15 = fail.
She's suing in the UK, which has different employment laws
Who gives a shit about this ugly cunt? Why would an ugly cunt like this write a sex novel? She's never had sex.
I love this girl. She is completely herself and apologizes to no one. I wish I had it in me to not give a sh*t.
49 -- I think the book is supposed to be fictional.
Who cares about this whore?
Who cares about this wh*re?
You are all faggots. I'd hit it.
i AM the Restatement
- Allen & Overy
Her poetry is incredibly trite:
"Enough Innocence (Sweden)
As endurance requires patience,
Faith requires innocence.
And doubt is not a corrupt destroyer,
But only a guard at beauty’s foyer."
Enough Innocence (Sweden)
As endurance requires patience,
Faith requires innocence.
And doubt is not a corrupt destroyer,
But only a guard at beauty’s foyer.
She's a law firm 7. The fact that she appears to be easy makes her a 9.
WTF.
I'm Russian qualified - all employment in Russia must be by contract. Here's two bj's betting that A&O doesn't actually get around to getting their expats to sign one.
Kasowitz: competent but not prestigious.
67-do you still think she's a "7" when you see a less fuzzy pic of her, like here?
http://www.spada.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/deidredare2.jpg
67-do you still think she's a "7" when you see a less fuzzy pic of her, like here?
http://www.spada.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/deidredare2.jpg
Did anyone venture to read her stuff? What drivel. I'd say 'don't quit your day job', but....
a 43 year old associate "big rainmaker" who went out to a Moscow office? LOLZ LOLZ LOLZ, rinse and repeat
There should be a certain point beyond which you lose the right to be taken seriously. With all due respect, I think this young woman has reached that point.
There should be a certain point beyond which you lose the right to be taken seriously. With all due respect, I think this young woman has reached that point.
69, all employment in the UK must also be by written contract. Even A&O wouldn't have messed that one up (unlike some US firms in London, who learned about that requirement the hard way).
Chung is King
Dirty Sanchez. Blumpkin.
What the hell is that expression in her photo? The donkey smile?
rain maker? obviously no big enough . . .
What strikes me the most is how poorly written her "novel" is. And where is the "philosophy" that her website promises? Truly she should have stuck to writing contracts. One of the most laughable entries is where she goes into detail about how she thinks the Russian word for restaurant is "Resoran" (i.e, without the 't'), but in fact the Russian word does have a 't', jus like in English.
What strikes me the most is how poorly written her "novel" is. And where is the "philosophy" that her website promises? Truly she should have stuck to writing contracts. One of the most laughable entries is where she goes into detail about how she thinks the Russian word for restaurant is "Resoran" (i.e, without the 't'), but in fact the Russian word does have a 't', jus like in English.
What strikes me the most is how poorly written her "novel" is. And where is the "philosophy" that her website promises? Truly she should have stuck to writing contracts. One of the most laughable entries is where she goes into detail about how she thinks the Russian word for restaurant is "Resoran" (i.e, without the 't'), but in fact the Russian word does have a 't', jus like in English.
i think she's great. i really wish this board would open its mind a little and take stick out of ass. there are many ways to live, even for a lawyer. this should be refreshing. let's embrace the quirkier of our craft!
She can't write. It's as simple as that. On to the next alternative career. Escorting may be a possibility; porn flicks are not.
She can't write. It's as simple as that. On to the next alternative career. Escorting may be a possibility; porn flicks are not.
BANG!
She is my hero, and you people are bitter and boring morons.
Please DON'T keep us updated. How can anyone be so stupid as to use their professional lawyer name on online perverted writing? The law firm has a right to protect it squeaky clean image.
Please DON'T keep us updated. How can anyone be so stupid as to use their professional lawyer name on online perverted writing? The law firm has a right to protect it squeaky clean image.
Please DON'T keep us updated. How can anyone be so stupid as to use their professional lawyer name on online perverted writing? The law firm has a right to protect its squeaky clean image.
Please DON'T keep us updated. How can anyone so lack judgment and be so stupid as to use their professional lawyer name on online perverted writing? The law firm has a right to protect its squeaky clean image.
Please DON'T keep us updated. How can anyone so lack judgment and be so stupid as to use their professional lawyer name on online perverted writing? The law firm has a right to protect its squeaky clean image.