MPRM files suit Against 42West, Alleging Coordinated Employee and Client Poaching
LOS ANGELES, November 17, 2023 – Public relations firm MPRM has filed a lawsuit against rival agency 42West, accusing it of orchestrating a “hostile departure” of key personnel and the subsequent loss of major clients. The suit, filed Friday in California state court, alleges 42West engaged in a deliberate effort to dismantle MPRM by poaching employees, clients, and confidential information.
The legal action follows the abrupt exit of roughly half of MPRM’s staff last week, including executive vice presidents Sylvia desrochers and Caitlin McGee. Desrochers and McGee had been in negotiations to purchase MPRM from president Mark Pogachefsky, a transition initiated after the 2022 retirement of cofounder rachel McCallister. Those plans dissolved earlier this year when Pogachefsky received a purchase offer from the pair, reportedly valued at less than 10 percent of the company.
According to the lawsuit, Desrochers informed Pogachefsky on Wednesday that she was taking several high-profile clients – including Disney, National Geographic, and NBC - to 42West. MPRM alleges this was part of a pre-planned effort to cripple the firm.
The complaint details accusations of trade secret theft, including marketing plans, client lists with contact information, and detailed customer profiles outlining service needs and preferences. “It was apparent that their leaving MPRM was hostile, had been in the works for quite some time, and would wreak havoc on MPRM and its existing clients by depriving it of key personnel,” stated Devin McRae, MPRM’s lawyer, in the complaint.
MPRM is seeking unspecified damages and alleging breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation of trade secrets, and fraudulent concealment. 42West, which boasts a client roster including Martin Scorsese, Tom Hanks, and Tom Cruise, and recently celebrated the success of its marketing campaign for sony’s Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle (grossing $555 million globally), declined to comment.
The lawsuit echoes similar allegations made last year when marketing firm R&CPMK sued 2PM Sharp, accusing it of employing a similar strategy of mass employee departures and client poaching to build its business.
