Ex-JPMorgan banker's lawyer resigns ahead of sex assault lawsuit hearing
Daniel Kaiser withdrew from representing Chirayu Rana hours before a New York hearing in his lawsuit against JPMorgan and Lorna Hajdini. The exit leaves Rana without counsel for now as the case intensifies with denials, a countersuit and a fight over anonymity.
Former JPMorgan banker Chirayu Rana faced a major setback on Tuesday after his attorney Daniel Kaiser abruptly withdrew from representing him just hours before a scheduled court appearance tied to his explosive lawsuit against the banking giant and a senior executive.
According to sources cited in The New York Post and The Wall Street Journal, court filings showed that the attorney formally requested to be discharged from the case, leaving Rana temporarily without legal representation.
The surprise exit came shortly before a New York court hearing where Rana was expected to fight for the right to continue proceeding anonymously under the name "John Doe". According to the filing, Rana currently has no replacement lawyer and will represent himself "pro se" unless he hires new counsel.
LAWSUIT TRIGGERED MAJOR CONTROVERSY
Rana, a former vice president at JPMorgan Chase, filed the lawsuit earlier this year accusing senior executive Lorna Hajdini of sexually assaulting and abusing him during his time at the bank.
The lawsuit also alleged that Rana experienced racism and retaliation within JPMorgan's leveraged finance division.
JPMorgan and Hajdini have strongly denied the accusations.
In a formal court filing submitted last week, JPMorgan described Rana's allegations as "false and malicious".
The bank stated that it "denies that Plaintiff was sexually assaulted, harassed, discriminated or retaliated against". JPMorgan also said it reserved the right to pursue its own claims against Rana over alleged wrongdoing.
HAJDINI ACCUSES RANA OF DEFAMATION
The legal fight escalated further after Hajdini filed a countersuit accusing Rana of defamation.
According to court documents, Hajdini "categorically and unequivocally" denied the accusations and argued that the allegations had “ruined her reputation and destroyed her life”.
A spokesperson for Rana previously insisted that his claims were true and would eventually be proven in court.
Meanwhile, JPMorgan has continued rejecting the allegations publicly and privately. The bank has previously said an internal investigation found Rana's claims had "no merit".
Reports also claimed JPMorgan earlier offered Rana a settlement worth around $1 million, though he rejected the proposal.
The attorney had previously defended Rana aggressively and criticised media coverage surrounding the lawsuit. At one stage, Kaiser reportedly claimed media outlets would be "embarrassed" by their reporting once more evidence emerged.
Kaiser is also known for representing several victims connected to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including accuser Jennifer Araoz. Neither Kaiser nor Rana publicly commented on the separation following the court submission.
Former JPMorgan banker Chirayu Rana faced a major setback on Tuesday after his attorney Daniel Kaiser abruptly withdrew from representing him just hours before a scheduled court appearance tied to his explosive lawsuit against the banking giant and a senior executive.
According to sources cited in The New York Post and The Wall Street Journal, court filings showed that the attorney formally requested to be discharged from the case, leaving Rana temporarily without legal representation.
The surprise exit came shortly before a New York court hearing where Rana was expected to fight for the right to continue proceeding anonymously under the name "John Doe". According to the filing, Rana currently has no replacement lawyer and will represent himself "pro se" unless he hires new counsel.
LAWSUIT TRIGGERED MAJOR CONTROVERSY
Rana, a former vice president at JPMorgan Chase, filed the lawsuit earlier this year accusing senior executive Lorna Hajdini of sexually assaulting and abusing him during his time at the bank.
The lawsuit also alleged that Rana experienced racism and retaliation within JPMorgan's leveraged finance division.
JPMorgan and Hajdini have strongly denied the accusations.
In a formal court filing submitted last week, JPMorgan described Rana's allegations as "false and malicious".
The bank stated that it "denies that Plaintiff was sexually assaulted, harassed, discriminated or retaliated against". JPMorgan also said it reserved the right to pursue its own claims against Rana over alleged wrongdoing.
HAJDINI ACCUSES RANA OF DEFAMATION
The legal fight escalated further after Hajdini filed a countersuit accusing Rana of defamation.
According to court documents, Hajdini "categorically and unequivocally" denied the accusations and argued that the allegations had “ruined her reputation and destroyed her life”.
A spokesperson for Rana previously insisted that his claims were true and would eventually be proven in court.
Meanwhile, JPMorgan has continued rejecting the allegations publicly and privately. The bank has previously said an internal investigation found Rana's claims had "no merit".
Reports also claimed JPMorgan earlier offered Rana a settlement worth around $1 million, though he rejected the proposal.
The attorney had previously defended Rana aggressively and criticised media coverage surrounding the lawsuit. At one stage, Kaiser reportedly claimed media outlets would be "embarrassed" by their reporting once more evidence emerged.
Kaiser is also known for representing several victims connected to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including accuser Jennifer Araoz. Neither Kaiser nor Rana publicly commented on the separation following the court submission.
