Neiman Marcus is facing accusations of mishandling multiple workplace complaints from senior executives, including a lawyer who claims she was hospitalized for clinical depression attributed to demanding work conditions and was subsequently fired after being diagnosed with brain cancer. The allegations were detailed in a court filing.
Erin Borg, a seasoned attorney hired by Neiman Marcus in 2022, claims the company burdened her with an excessive workload while providing insufficient support staff and tolerating hostile behavior from colleagues. According to her filing, the company allegedly disregarded her complaints. Following a period of depression, Borg was diagnosed with glioblastoma and took a medical leave. She alleges she was terminated last year after returning from chemotherapy treatments, shortly after Neiman Marcus's parent company was acquired.
“It simply broke me,” Borg told The Post, describing her experience at the luxury retailer.
At least four former in-house lawyers have reportedly filed formal complaints about a hostile work environment at Neiman Marcus, according to a former executive not affiliated with Borg's case. Two of these complaints reportedly resulted in settlements.
Borg's complaint specifically names Thomas Mattei, a colleague she claims was openly hostile and made inappropriate jokes, including one referencing the E. Jean Carroll sexual assault case against former President Trump. Borg alleges Mattei suggested Neiman Marcus could "capitalize" on the case for marketing purposes, as the alleged assault occurred at Bergdorf Goodman, a sister company. She states she lodged multiple complaints about Mattei and her then-boss, Hannah Kim, who she claims assigned her an unmanageable workload.
“This seems to point to a failure of leadership overall at the company,” the former executive commented regarding the number of employment complaints.
Neiman Marcus has denied all allegations in Borg's complaint, according to a filing in an arbitration proceeding. The company, Kim, and Mattei did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Geoffroy van Raemdonck served as CEO of Neiman Marcus from 2022 to 2025, a period that included the company's acquisition by Saks Global in December 2024 and its subsequent emergence from bankruptcy earlier this year. The company has since been renamed Exemplar Luxury Group.
Borg initiated arbitration proceedings against Neiman Marcus, Mattei, and Kim in July 2025, alleging retaliation after she reported Mattei's behavior and subsequent discriminatory actions to human resources and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Her claim is now included in Saks Global's bankruptcy case, as she seeks to ensure she can collect any future arbitration award from available insurance proceeds. The specific amount of damages sought has not been specified.
Borg, 46, is seeking to expedite her case due to her ongoing battle with stage-four cancer, which requires treatment in Germany. Her attorney, Ari Wilkenfeld, stated that Neiman Marcus allegedly delayed its responses and failed to pay arbitration fees, stalling proceedings for months prior to the company's bankruptcy filing in January. Wilkenfeld added, “Unfortunately, Neiman Marcus appears to be trying to outwait Erin, who according to the best projections, would have succumbed to her illness over a half a year ago.”
Borg, a former lawyer for PetSmart, was hired as Neiman Marcus's vice president and assistant general counsel in April 2022. Her responsibilities rapidly expanded, creating an "unsustainable workload" amid what she described as the retailer's cost-cutting measures on support staff. According to her filing, she did not take a single day off for 11 consecutive months after starting her role. She also noted a high number of unfilled vacancies within the legal department.
Borg, a mother of two, alleges she experienced "hostility and sexism" from Mattei, who she claims refused to collaborate and spoke disparagingly of her. She reported these interactions to HR, including the alleged joke about the E. Jean Carroll case. Mattei's alleged comment suggested Neiman Marcus could use the case for marketing, proposing a cutout of Trump in women's dressing rooms and offering prizes to customers who noticed it.
“When Tom made that casual rape joke, I was on a conference call with him and Hannah boarding a plane at the airport, so I couldn’t say something at the time,” Borg told The Post. “But it’s not appropriate in any workplace. And as the head employment lawyer and as someone who was raped at age 29, I had to speak up.”
Kim reportedly arranged meetings between Borg and Mattei, along with an HR representative, to address their conflicts. Borg's filing states that these meetings left her emotionally drained, and Mattei allegedly retaliated by excluding her and her paralegal from important meetings.
While Kim allegedly offered Borg a promotion and more resources, it was contingent on her and Mattei being promoted simultaneously to co-deputy general counsel. The promotion was reportedly delayed due to concerns about Mattei's "professionalism and misconduct."
By March 2023, Borg's mental health had declined, leading her to seek treatment for clinical depression for one month. Her marriage also dissolved around this time.
Upon her return to work in June, Kim informed Borg that she would not receive the promotion, but Mattei would. He was eventually appointed chief legal officer in February 2024, becoming Borg's supervisor after Kim departed the company.
Around the same period, Borg began experiencing seizures, including two that occurred after meetings with Mattei. When Borg informed Mattei of her need for medical leave, he allegedly responded with agitation and questioned whether she would be available for a "crucial" call during her leave.
After six months of leave, Borg returned to work in October but was placed on administrative leave until her layoff in February 2025.