Former ConsenSys AG Investment Head Accuses Firm of Mistreatment in Lawsuit

Kavita Gupta said in an expanded version of a Dec. 31 complaint that ConsenSys AG had created a “toxic” work environment and demanded $30 million in monetary damages.

AccessTimeIconJan 19, 2022 at 5:56 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 4:10 p.m. UTC
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The legal battle between ConsenSys AG and Kavita Gupta remains highly contentious.

In a longer version of a Dec. 31 complaint, the former head of the Ethereum studio’s venture capital arm reiterated her demand for $30 million in monetary damages, accusing the firm of fraud, negligent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment, among other allegations.

The latest complaint filed in a New York court on Monday accused ConsenSys of bullying her and creating a “toxic” work environment, particularly for women, using similar language to the descriptors that her former company lobbed at her in a lawsuit filed last week.

In that complaint in a Delaware court, ConsenSys said Gupta had mistreated colleagues and caused the firm to lose business opportunities. The firm accused Gupta of presenting fraudulent academic and professional credentials, including a Harvard degree, in order to be hired, and asked the court to declare that Gupta wasn't entitled to any equity or compensation.

Gupta has denied ConsenSys’s allegations. In her expanded complaint, she alleged that the firm mistreated her and was trying to avoid compensating her for investments that have made ConsenSys more than $300 million.

In an email to CoinDesk on Wednesday, a ConsenSys spokesperson said: "This is an ongoing legal matter and consistent with our practices, we will let our formal filings and the results of the litigation speak for themselves."

In a Tuesday tweet, Gupta said that ConsenSys was trying to bully and threaten her. “They may try to refute my abilities, but my hard work speak for themselves,” Gupta wrote.

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James Rubin

James Rubin was CoinDesk's U.S. news editor based on the West Coast.


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