KPMG executive Eileen Hoggett sues firm over whistleblower dismissal

Former KPMG chief operating officer Eileen Hoggett has filed a lawsuit in the NSW Supreme Court against the firm following her dismissal in July. Hoggett’s expulsion was linked to a whistleblower scandal involving sensitive Lendlease board documents allegedly kept in her office locker, which were reportedly used to secure new business.

Hoggett has contested the grounds for her dismissal and noted significant financial losses, including the forfeiture of accrued annual leave, retirement payments from her 21-year tenure as a partner, and unpaid wages. The first court hearing is scheduled for September 23.

The legal action follows intense scrutiny from a parliamentary committee. In a rare show of bipartisan unity, political rivals in Canberra have collaborated in the investigation into KPMG’s conduct, with committee members from the Labor, Liberal National, and Greens parties working together to expose corporate wrongdoing in the national interest.