Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%
Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.
Sexual Harassment & the Legal Industry
While sexual harassment is not generally categorized as a “crime,” when it moves from suggestive remarks to things such as unwanted touching, the civil offense of sexual harassment can quickly become the crimes of assault, forcible touching, sexual battery or even rape. An employee's criminal liability for such acts has traditionally not been imputed to the business organization for which he works, but that does not mean it could not happen as some states have laws on the books that impose criminal liability on business organizations when a criminal offense is “engaged in … by a high managerial agent acting within the scope of his employment and in behalf of the corporation” (NY Penal Law §20.20). With such laws on the books, business entities would be well advised to implement and enforce sexual misconduct policies that protect their employees, thereby protecting the business itself from potential criminal, as well as civil, liability.
For members of a conservative industry that — literally — wrote the rulebook on sexual harassment, law firms need to be ready for a day of reckoning that seems inescapable. Right now, the focus is on Hollywood, mass media, Wall Street, Silicon Valley and politics, which are all professional arenas historically known to operate by their own set of rules that have been at equal turns brushed off as socially acceptable, emboldened after career-ending threats kept censure at bay, and vigorously defended in a courtroom. But the very shaky reality is that the lawyer standing beside every Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer, Harold Ford, Jr., Travis Kalanick or Al Franken is most likely operating from his or her own “house of cards.”
This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only
ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN ENTERTAINMENT LAW.
- Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
- Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
- Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts
Already a have an account? Sign In Now Log In Now
For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It
Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough
There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later
The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.
A Lawyer's System for Active Reading
Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.
Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners
Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.