Milbank brought in alongside Slaughters to advise WPP on leaked emails

Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy has become the latest law firm to win a role on the ongoing fallout from former WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell's departure from the advertising company. The US firm has been brought in by WPP alongside Slaughter and May to find the source of emails circulated among current and former employees in the wake of CEO Sir Martin Sorrell's departure from the advertising company. A report in The Financial Times today described the emails, which contain discussions of Sorrell's travel arrangements and the company’s bonus plan, as "anonymous and intimidating". Sorrell stepped down as CEO of WPP in April amid allegations of misconduct and misuse of assets, both of which he has denied, with Allen & Overy (A&O) and Slaughters brought in to advise the company over the claims. Sorrell himself is being advised by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan London co-managing partners Sue Prevezer QC and Richard East, alongside employment specialist firm Lewis Silkin, while WPP has also appointed Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations. A spokesperson for WPP said: “WPP confirms that one former and two current employees have received a total of six emails between them from an anonymous source hiding behind a ProtonMail account based in Switzerland. WPP has passed these emails to external legal counsel who are providing advice for the benefit of WPP and the three recipients. “WPP is aware of the original source of the subject matter of the emails, which is a former employee’s mobile device used for work and handed in when the employee left the group.” Both Slaughters and Milbank declined to comment. Sorrell is also being advised by Travers Smith on the creation of a new company, S4 Capital, including its £51m fundraising and reverse acquisition by investment firm Derriston Capital.