Law firm Slater & Gordon rocked by explosive all-staff email purportedly sent by outgoing HR boss

An all-staff email laced with “disparaging remarks” about employees purportedly sent by an outgoing HR boss has wreaked havoc at the firm, leaking confidential salaries and performance.

Police are expected to probe an explosive all staff email at prominent law firm Slater & Gordon purportedly sent by an outgoing HR boss revealing confidential staff salaries, performance and laced with “disparaging remarks” about individual employees.

The missive was allegedly sent from a personal email address claiming to be Chief People Officer Mari Ruiz-Matthyssen and part of a larger email chain including a Slater & Gordon email address which was blind copied to all staff on Friday morning, the Australian Financial Review reported.

On Friday afternoon, Slater & Gordon was in damage control, with CEO Dina Tutungi seeking to reassure staff.

“I am aware that a distressing email has been sent to many staff this morning. It contains blatant inaccuracies and defamatory and false information,” she said in an all staff email leaked to the Herald Sun.

Police are expected to probe an explosive all staff email at prominent law firm Slater & Gordon purportedly sent by an outgoing HR boss. Picture: AAP Image

“We understand this is very upsetting and concerning for people and we are investigating the matter.”

Ms Tutungi said the firm was “working to understand what has occurred”.

The Herald Sun understands the email has wrought havoc within the high profile law firm, causing significant stress among staff and deep concerns that someone is impersonating a senior manager.

The email reportedly said the law firm was “a textbook case of dysfunction” and Ms Tutungi was solely focused on her bonus.

The sender reportedly accused private equity firm Allegro Funds, which acquired the firm after a crash in value, of “true to private-equity form … gutting the place”.

“Heads are rolling, and what remains is a skeletal crew barely keeping things together. The endgame? A polished-up shell to be sold off at the right price. Grim, but predictable,” the email reportedly said.

The firm denies Ms Ruiz-Matthyssen authored the email and said she would go to police. Picture: file image

The message comes at a challenging time for the law firm after a tense pay dispute with staff and its recent loss in a significant class action against pharmaceutical company Bayer.

In a statement issued on Friday afternoon, Slater & Gordon denied Ms Ruiz-Matthyssen authored the email and said she would go to police.

“The interim Chief People Officer is not the author or the sender of that email, nor is that email address attributed to her, and she intends to report this matter to the police,” it said.

“The contents of the email include a range of disparaging remarks about individuals – what is presented as internal information in the email is incorrect and in many ways a work of fiction.

“We are taking this seriously due to the distress this has caused many of our team and are investigating the matter. We will also co-operate fully with any police action or investigation.”