Martin Agency, former exec settle #MeToo-era lawsuit

The Martin Agency and its former chief creative officer have settled a long-running lawsuit stemming from his departure from the advertising firm nearly a decade ago amid media reports of sexual harassment allegations at the height of the #MeToo movement.

Joe Alexander, the Richmond-based national advertising agency‘s former chief creative officer, has vehemently maintained that the allegations were false and in lawsuits claimed there was a “conspiracy” among Martin (which rebranded as Martin earlier this year), its parent company and others “to tortiously interfere with and to terminate [his] employment with Martin.”

Court records show that Alexander and Martin filed an out-of-court settlement agreement on June 11 with the Richmond Circuit Court. The settlement comes after a scheduled April 28 bench trial was continued.

The Richmonder first reported the settlement, which it said asks a judge to dismiss the case as “all matters of controversy between them have been resolved to their satisfaction.”

The parties asked the case to be dismissed with prejudice and stated in a draft dismissal order that each party would bear its own costs and attorney fees, according to The Richmonder.

Per online court records, the Richmond Circuit Court granted a dismissal order with prejudice on June 15, meaning the matter cannot be filed in that court again.

Alexander worked for the agency for 26 years before departing in 2017 amid multiple allegations of sexual harassment from agency employees. He has consistently denied the harassment claims.

Alexander brought a $50 million lawsuit against Martin and other defendants — alleging defamation, breach of contract and other claims — in 2019 that was eventually nonsuited after he brought a new lawsuit in circuit court. That lawsuit alleged that Martin defamed him by reposting news articles about Kristen Cavallo, who became Martin’s CEO shortly after Alexander’s departure from the agency, that referenced the allegations against him.

Alexander nonsuited the initial case in 2024 after the Richmond Circuit Court held that he failed to state a claim that could be remedied legally. He lodged an appeal of the judge’s ruling to the Court of Appeals of Virginia, which disagreed with Alexander’s assignment of error. The Supreme Court of Virginia refused his petition in April. A petition for rehearing remains pending before the high court.

Alexander’s second suit, filed in circuit court in 2024, alleged Martin executives defamed him in statements made to news outlets and published in articles that were later reposted by the agency. While those claims were dismissed, a claim that Martin broke the terms of a 2013 confidential settlement proceeded until the settlement agreement was reached.

Listed defendants in the settled case besides Martin include Interpublic Group of Cos. — Martin’s parent company that was acquired by Omnicom in November 2025 — and Elizabeth Paul, who currently serves as chief brand officer at Martin.

Counsel for the parties in the case could not be reached for comment.