A longtime shareholder at one of Nevada's most prominent law firms says she was systematically pushed out after reporting a top billing partner for sexual harassment, according to a lawsuit filed in Clark County District Court. Lesley Miller alleges Kaempfer Crowell and several of its shareholders retaliated against her by stripping her cases, withholding pay, and ultimately telling her to resign or be fired.
Miller's suit, filed under case number A-26-956032-C, names Kaempfer Crowell and its shareholders as defendants, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. She is represented by attorney Dennis Kennedy of Bailey Kennedy, LLP, while the firm is represented by defense attorney Marcus Lee, according to the same report. Miller joined Kaempfer Crowell as an associate in 2010, made partner in 2015, and became a shareholder in January 2025 — a trajectory that makes her allegations of an abrupt ouster all the more striking.
Allegations Against ‘The Predator’
The complaint refers to the accused attorney only as “the predator,” and Miller's attorney, Dennis Kennedy, declined to identify him, per the Review-Journal's reporting. According to the suit, the attorney sexually harassed Miller and other women, made inappropriate comments and overtures toward her at a firm-sponsored event, and told her and other female colleagues to “wear those jeans again because they look criminal.” The complaint further alleges he claimed he could identify female employees' underwear through their clothing and said women wear stilettos “to get screwed in the office.”
Miller says she rejected the attorney's comments and overtures and was later forced to apologize to him anyway, according to the complaint. The suit also alleges the firm required Miller and other women to report to and work directly under the accused attorney, and that other women had separately complained about his behavior.
An After-Hours Incident and a 911 Call
According to the complaint, the accused attorney brought a woman to the office after hours, and she was tied to his desk. A friend of the woman called 911 to report an assault at the firm, and law enforcement responded to the scene, the suit alleges. The attorney was removed from the firm on April 6, 2026, according to the filing, and was escorted out by law enforcement, the complaint states. Shareholders Joshua Correlli and Stephanie Gronauer were both aware of the incident, according to the suit.
The firm's human resources manager quit in April 2026 after leadership failed to inform her about complaints against the attorney, the complaint alleges. The accused attorney was also removed from his positions at the firm that same month, according to the filing.
Miller Alleges Retaliation Followed Her Report
Miller says she reported the attorney's behavior to managing partner Robert Gronauer, general counsel Lyssa Anderson, and another shareholder — but that Gronauer told her he did not want to hear complaints about the accused attorney and failed to act on them, according to the complaint. Her lawsuit alleges that firm leadership then coordinated a campaign to diminish her law practice, undermine her credibility, deprive her of compensation, and force her out.
Among the retaliatory acts alleged in the complaint: Gronauer and other shareholders gave the accused attorney Miller's biggest case, along with $52,000 worth of her billing receipts. The firm also removed her as a billing timekeeper, voided her attorney fees, and denied her a raise, the complaint states. Gronauer barred Miller from a shareholders' meeting in April 2026, according to the suit, and Miller alleges she was removed from her positions at the firm entirely.
A Forced Resignation and Unreturned Investment
In May 2026, Gronauer told Miller to resign or be fired, and presented her with a separation agreement and release of claims, according to the complaint. Miller refused to sign it. She had purchased 500 shares of Kaempfer Crowell stock for $50,000, and according to the suit, she has not received the return of that contribution or her share of the firm's 2025 shareholder distribution.
Miller's lawsuit brings claims including civil conspiracy, breach of contract, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Miller herself declined to comment, the Review-Journal reported. Kaempfer Crowell has said Miller's lawsuit is filled with mischaracterizations and fiction, and that it plans to rigorously defend its actions and rely on the legal system to clear its name and reputation.
A Firm With Deep Ties to Local Power
Kaempfer Crowell was built from the legal practices of Chris Kaempfer, who began practicing in Las Vegas in 1976, and Bob Crowell, a former three-term mayor of Carson City who began practicing law in 1973, growing into a firm of more than 30 lawyers across Las Vegas, Reno, and Carson City, according to SCG Legal. The firm has previously represented the Metropolitan Police Department in litigation, and general counsel Lyssa Anderson represents the department in litigation over electronic-monitoring releases, according to the Review-Journal. Separately, Anderson regularly serves as lead defense counsel representing the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and its officers in federal civil rights and excessive force litigation, according to court records.
The firm also maintains a dominant land-use and government relations practice in Clark County, representing major real estate developers before municipal bodies on large-scale projects near Harry Reid International Airport, according to NVBEX. Just three years before the allegations surfaced, in March 2023, Kaempfer Crowell publicly featured Miller in a Women's History Month campaign celebrating its 16 female attorneys and lobbyists, highlighting her alongside Anderson.
Miller's Background in Nevada Law and Policy
Miller earned her law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and has been licensed to practice in Nevada since 2002, specializing in commercial litigation, administrative law, and gaming law, according to her Super Lawyers profile. Outside her private practice, Miller has also engaged in Nevada public policy work, having served on the advisory board of Nevadans for Background Checks in 2016 alongside former police organization leaders to champion a statewide gun safety ballot initiative, according to the Review-Journal's opinion pages.
Under Nevada law, employers are prohibited from discriminating or retaliating against employees who oppose unlawful employment practices or report workplace harassment, per Nevada Revised Statutes Section 613.340, according to the Nevada Legislature. Employees generally have up to 300 days from an adverse action to file an administrative charge with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission or the EEOC, while tort claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations under NRS 11.201, according to Ackermann & Tilajef.
As case A-26-956032-C moves through Clark County District Court, key questions remain unresolved, including the identity of the attorney accused of misconduct and whether the reported desk incident led to any criminal charges.
