A significant legal dispute has emerged within JPMorgan Chase, one of the world's leading financial institutions, following the filing of a lawsuit that includes extraordinary allegations against an executive director. The complaint, filed on Monday, April 27, in New York County Supreme Court, names Lorna Hajdini, 37, an executive director on JPMorgan’s leveraged finance team, and JPMorgan Chase as defendants. The individual behind the lawsuit, initially identified as "John Doe" in court records, has since been revealed as Chirayu Rana, 35, a former employee of JPMorgan Chase and current principal at New York investment firm Bregal Sagemount.
The lawsuit levels serious accusations against Hajdini. Rana claims she drugged him with Rohypnol and Viagra, subsequently coercing him into becoming her "sex slave." The complaint further alleges that Hajdini threatened to reduce his compensation if he did not comply with her advances. Additionally, the court filing details claims that Hajdini repeatedly arrived unannounced at Rana's apartment, forcing him into sexual acts. Details from the original court documents were published by The Daily Mail before being temporarily pulled from the record by attorneys for unspecified "corrections."
In response to the allegations, Lorna Hajdini, through her legal team, issued a categorical denial. Her statement read: "Lorna categorically denies the allegations. She never engaged in any inappropriate conduct with this individual of any kind and has never even been to the location where the alleged sexual assault supposedly took place."
JPMorgan Chase initiated its own internal review shortly after the allegations surfaced. The bank’s human resources department and in-house attorneys conducted a comprehensive probe, which reportedly involved examining team phone records and internal email communications. Following this investigation, the bank concluded that the claims against Hajdini lacked merit. A JPMorgan spokesperson released a statement confirming their findings: "Following an investigation, we don’t believe there’s any merit to these claims. While numerous employees cooperated with the investigation, the complainant refused to participate and has declined to provide facts that would be central to support his allegations."
A key detail highlighted by the bank and sources familiar with the matter is Rana’s alleged refusal to participate in JPMorgan’s internal investigation, a point that stands in contrast to the severity of the claims he brought forth in court. Furthermore, the organizational structure within JPMorgan’s leveraged finance team has been cited as a point of contention regarding one of the lawsuit’s central claims. Sources familiar with the bank's internal hierarchy indicated that Rana and Hajdini held peer positions, rather than a supervisor-subordinate relationship. Hajdini reported to managing director Brandon Graffeo, while Rana reported to a separate managing director, Jon Wolter. This structure directly challenges the lawsuit’s assertion that Hajdini wielded power over Rana’s annual bonus and used that leverage to coerce him.
Prior to filing the lawsuit, Rana had brought a formal internal grievance to JPMorgan in May 2025, accusing Hajdini of race- and gender-based harassment and abuse of power. Concurrently, he reportedly entered negotiations with the bank, seeking a financial exit package valued in the millions of dollars, according to sources.
Chirayu Rana, a Rutgers University graduate and former basketball player, has a notable career trajectory within the finance industry, including tenures at Houlihan Lokey, Credit Suisse, TCG Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley, and The Carlyle Group, before his time at JPMorgan. He currently works at Bregal Sagemount, an investment firm specializing in software, digital infrastructure, healthcare IT, and financial services. Property records link Rana to residences in Manhattan’s Kips Bay neighborhood and Fairfax County, Virginia.
Lorna Hajdini, an NYU Stern School of Business graduate, remains employed by JPMorgan and is described by colleagues as "a top performer." Outside of her professional role, she dedicates her time to Minds Matter, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting college access for underprivileged youth. A person close to Hajdini, who was not authorized to speak publicly, stated, "He has tarnished her with a complete fabrication."
As of now, no trial date has been scheduled for the case. Under U.S. law, court filings are protected by absolute privilege, which grants news organizations immunity from defamation liability when accurately reporting their contents, irrespective of whether the underlying claims are ultimately proven true or false. Rana's attorney of record, Daniel J. Kaiser, has not responded to requests for comment, nor has Rana himself.
