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Latham Chief's Undoing Began By Offering 'Christian Reconciliation' Help

The wild details behind Bill Voge's departure from Latham.

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Bill Voge via Latham & Watkins website

Yesterday’s shocking announcement that Latham & Watkins chair Bill Voge would step down over inappropriate sexual messages provided precious few details. At the outset, the only thing we could confirm is that the messages weren’t to anyone associated with the firm. In a sense, it was heartening to see a powerful man accused of misconduct who wasn’t using his influence to harass an employee. On the other hand, to resign over activity outside the workplace is almost more troubling.

Law360 has an exclusive report on Voge’s resignation having reviewed the messages at the heart of the matter and even spoken with the woman involved:

Before his sudden departure Tuesday, Latham & Watkins LLP Chair Bill Voge engaged in a pattern of reckless behavior starting with sexually explicit messages sent to a woman he approached on behalf of a Christian men’s group and culminating in threats to her husband to have her thrown in jail.

Oh.

Based on Law360’s work reviewing dozens of documents, Voge’s undoing began when he approached a woman online to “help her engage in ‘Christian reconciliation’ with a member of the New Canaan Society.” The New Canaan Society is ostensibly a Christian men’s group, but it’s more of a Christian themed mutual admiration society for rich people. The group, started by a Goldman Sachs banker, is pretty upfront about its commitment to men “in the marketplace.” That whole “camel through the eye of a needle” probably doesn’t rank high on their list of Jesus’ teachings.

So Voge volunteered himself to patch up some guy’s marriage with some Bible talk (UPDATE: The dispute Voge intervened in was not actually a marriage, but a dispute between the woman and the founder of the organization). Apparently, I’ve been working off the wrong Bible for years because Voge’s version includes sexually explicit messages. Unless you have a very liberal interpretation of “I am thy rod.”

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According to Law360, Voge’s messages with the woman began as consensual, but the woman claims Voge crossed the line when he invited her to his hotel room. Voge and the woman have still never met in person. And yet Latham won’t let all of its associates telecommute.

After the racy messaging phase of the relationship soured, the woman began to feel that Voge took advantage of her pain and started sharing her story with Voge’s lawyer, Latham personnel, and even some Kirkland lawyers. That’s when Voge and his attorney began to describe her as a cyberstalker and documents suggest they weren’t shy about threatening legal action:

In a series of text messages with the woman’s husband in late January that Law360 has reviewed, Voge’s tone ranges from apologetic to menacing.

“It was sinful, but not a crime,” Voge wrote in an exchange with the woman’s husband. “How many times can I apologize for my actions?… Both of us were wrong.”

But in the same exchange, Voge also said the woman would go to jail for promulgating the texts and emails and that Voge would travel to personally witness her arrest. Voge said he wished to make an example out of her to “help the next victim.”

“It is not threats about jail. She will be in jail!!!” Voge wrote.

Now, Voge is out at both Latham & Watkins and the New Canaan Society. His career in marital counseling is most likely over as well.

EXCLUSIVE: Behind The Downfall Of Latham’s Chairman [Law360]

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Earlier: Latham & Watkins Chair Resigns Over Sexual Messages

HeadshotJoe Patrice is an editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.

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