Stroock announces internal investigation unit focusing on sexual misconduct allegations
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan has added an internal investigations unit focused on alleged workplace sexual misconduct.
The new unit will be led by Shira A. Scheindlin, a retired U.S. district court judge who is now of counsel at the firm, and partner Robert Abrams, who prior to joining the firm in 1994 served as New York’s attorney general for 15 years.
“This is an extremely sensitive time for employers – organizations shouldn’t run the risk of being blindsided by accusations of sexual impropriety, from outright harassment and forced physical contact to more subtle forms of intimidation or power plays based on sexual relationships, even when they are consensual,” Alan Klinger, the firm’s managing partner, said in a press release on Monday. “Our new unit is available to help clients unravel suspected harassment and to arrive at a truthful, fact-based accounting of alleged wrongdoing.
“Employees, the media, investors and other stakeholders are making significant judgments based not only on what may have been alleged but how the organization steps up to ensure that nothing impedes an accurate picture of what occurred.”
Other Stroock lawyers in the unit are employment partner Howard Lavin, special counsels Michele Pahmer and Elizabeth DiMichele and Joel Cohen, a former state and U.S. Justice Department prosecutor, who is of counsel with the firm.
