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A lawsuit accusing Major Lindsey & Africa of defamation has taken another turn, with former employee Sharon Mahn filing a motion to disqualify Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP from defending the recruiter in her $75 million federal suit.

Mahn’s motion, submitted Friday in the Southern District of New York, argues that three Smith Gambrell attorneys are key witnesses to determine liability. She alleged the attorneys “literally lied” in prior litigation, making their testimony critical to assess the alleged misrepresentations.

The contentious history between Mahn and Major Lindsey began in 2009, when the recruiter fired her and later accused her of trading trade secrets for monetary kickbacks. That dispute ended in arbitration, awarding Major Lindsey $2.9 million, which Mahn, who declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2022, has not paid, according to court records.

Mahn's legal battles expanded in 2022 under New York's Adult Survivors Act, with her bankruptcy trustee suing Major Lindsey for negligence. The suit accused the firm of fostering a misogynistic culture where Mahn alleged she had been groped by a colleague. Major Lindsey moved to arbitrate the claims, citing prior agreements, and the state Supreme Court ruled in its favor, a decision Mahn is appealing.

In November, Mahn launched the defamation case, alleging a "vindictive smear campaign" by Major Lindsey and its parent company, Allegis Group. Her 66-page amended complaint, filed alongside Friday's motion, accuses the recruiter and Smith Gambrell attorneys of defamation, abuse of process, and infliction of emotional distress.

Mahn told the court that the attorneys made unprivileged defamatory statements, creating a conflict of interest as their testimony is needed to prove whether Major Lindsey or the law firm is liable. She argued the lawyers’ actions could expose them to malpractice claims, further complicating their ability to defend the recruiter.

Major Lindsey president John Cashman dismissed the motion as “the latest in a string of improper legal maneuvers,” accusing Mahn of avoiding accountability for her alleged misconduct. “She has improperly sued MLA for comments its attorneys made in legal briefs, and now she is trying to use those wrongheaded claims to deprive MLA of its chosen counsel,” he said in a statement.

Mahn is represented by Rebecca A. Brazzano of Brazzano Law PLLC. Major Lindsey and Allegis Group are represented by Smith Gambrell’s David J. Doyle and Daniel S. Goldstein.

The case is Mahn v. Allegis Group Inc. et al., case number 1:24-cv-08326, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.