This is not the case.

For a big company that has formal HR procedures, there are strict restrictions who can access these kind of information. When there is a lawsuit, you attorney will have deposition with whoever has access to this information. And during the deposition, every word that person says is under oath and will be a criminal case if he/she lies. And if the person acknowledges that he/she leaked the information, you win the case and get a big money. The company will fire him/her and he/she will get a big black spot on his records, it will be very difficult for him/her to find a job. So, either way, the guy will have a big chance to lose everything, Why on earth the HR people would take this huge risk to protect the original author's boss?