The ex-Pillsbury Winthrop partner at the centre of an acrimonious public row over an aborted move to Latham & Watkins last week filed a multi-million dollar claim against his former firm, triggering a legal battle that looks set to shed light on the murky practices of US head-hunters and consultants.

Frode Jensen filed a $45m (£29m) defamation suit against Pillsburys on 8 October in the Connecticut Superior Court claiming his old firm acted “in a disgraceful and repugnant campaign to disseminate false and defamatory information.”