It is a basic principle of litigation that offers to compromise a disputed claim generally may not be introduced to prove liability or the amount of the claim. But when a case has been playing out in the court of public opinion long before it reaches a jury, leaked settlement offers can substantially affect the public's perception of a case and its litigants.
Recent reporting about the disputed sexual assault and harassment litigation involving JPMorgan Chase & Co., a former employee and a company executive illustrates the point.
On April 27, former JPMorgan investment banker Chirayu Rana, then proceeding under the pseudonym John Doe, filed suit in New York Supreme Court, New York County, against JPMorgan Chase and leveraged-finance executive Lorna Hajdini.
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