Overview
(March 29, 2023, Washington, DC) - Mark Lenzi, a dedicated and distinguished public servant and Security Engineering Officer for the US Department of State, has spent his career ensuring the safety and security of US Government personnel stationed abroad. In Spring 2018, while serving in Guangzhou, China, Mr. Lenzi, his family, and certain Foreign Service colleagues were afflicted with brain injury symptoms—which came to be known as Havana Syndrome—that caused debilitating injuries and required treatment at the University of Pennsylvania Brain Injury Recovery Center and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Following medical evacuation from China, Government and private physicians determined that Mr. Lenzi had suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury from external exposure. Mr. Lenzi began advocating for himself and other US Government employees afflicted with Havana Syndrome, including through media appearances in the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN and 60 Minutes. In his lawsuit, Mr. Lenzi alleged that the State Department retaliated and discriminated against him by denying him the overseas positions for which applied. On March 20, Mr. Lenzi and his lawyers at Steptoe and Johnson LLP reached a favorable settlement with the State Department, which will permit him to resume his overseas career in the Foreign Service.
Mr. Lenzi states: "I am grateful that the parties reached an amicable resolution of their disputes, and that I will be able to return to serving my country overseas and will do everything in my power to continue to serve the interests of the United States in the Foreign Service."
Lead counsel, Christopher Suarez, commented that "Steptoe has been honored to represent the interests of a faithful career diplomat who has suffered from a severe service related injury and can now continue to serve his country with dignity and distinction overseas. Our client is happy with the result and is looking forward to his continued public service with the State Department."
About Steptoe
In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
The diversity of the firm is a critical factor in its success. The firm’s Chair is a woman; the majority of the firm’s elected executive committee is female; the majority of Steptoe's nine offices are managed by women; and the majority of Steptoe’s practice groups have women as leaders. The firm's eight-person professional business services leadership is equally diverse, with half the c-suite made up of women, including three women of color, and other leaders who openly identify as LGBTQ+.
