Uber said to hire law firm O’Melveny & Myers on India rape case

Uber Technologies has hired the law firm O’Melveny & Myers to conduct internal fact-finding and handle any litigation in the San Francisco-based company’s defense in a civil suit brought by a woman who was raped by an Uber driver in India, a person familiar said.

Eric Alexander, Uber’s former president of business in Asia, obtained a copy of the woman’s medical report and carried it around with him, people told Bloomberg. Travis Kalanick — who resigned Tuesday night as chief executive officer but remains on the company’s board — floated a conspiracy theory that the woman hadn’t been raped and that Uber had been framed by its Indian competitor Ola, people told Bloomberg.

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Kalanick, Alexander and another former executive, Emil Michael, are named in the suit.

The rape victim, a Texas resident who remains anonymous, is suing Uber in federal court for mishandling her medical records. She previously received at least $3 million from Uber in a separate settlement, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

Uber previously said in a statement, “No one should have to go through a horrific experience like this, and we’re truly sorry that she’s had to relive it over the last few weeks.”

The ride-hailing company declined to comment on the hiring of O’Melveny & Myers. Reuters earlier reported the hiring.