Alexis McKenna named as legal lead on Activision Blizzard suit after predecessors’ departure

It appears the legal team in the ongoing Department of Fair Employment and Housing lawsuit against Activision Blizzard has a new head. Following the departure of the DFEH’s chief counsel and assistant chief counsel last week, Alexis McKenna has seemingly stepped up to head up the legal effort, according to Axios’ Stephen Totilo.

McKenna is a relatively new hire to the DFEH, joining the department in July 2021. She’s already been involved in some of the big cases of the intervening months, though, including the DFEH’s investigation of Riot Games last year.

McKenna has some big shoes to fill, though, in a case fraught with controversy. Previous DFEH chief counsel, Janette Wipper, was suddenly and unceremoniously fired by the California governor’s office, an action that was soon followed by the resignation of assistant chief counsel Melanie Proctor. Proctor further claimed that governor Gavin Newsom was interfering with the investigation, demanding updates on strategy and next steps that reportedly “mimick[ed] the interests of Activision’s counsel.”

The DFEH team also has something of an uphill battle ahead of them since the reveal of a settlement between Activision and the EEOC, which the DFEH feared may cause “irreparable harm to the interests of the DFEH’s state court claims.”