August 4, 2021

Alex Berke Quoted in Law 360 Piece on the Cuomo Sexual Misconduct Fallout

In the fallout of the New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ report on her office’s investigation into sexual harassment claims brought against Governor Cuomo, many New Yorkers and Americans are asking, “What’s next?” While the path ahead is still unclear, the report itself provides a cogent roadmap for any potential lawsuits that might come as a result of Cuomo’s actions.

Senior Associate Alex Berke was quoted in Frank Runyeon’s analysis for Law 360, which details the investigation’s potential role to play in future litigation:

A key question for Cuomo and his allies is what will follow the AG's incendiary report, Berke said.

"Even though there's this kind of bombshell report of with so many details of actions of the governor took," Berke said, barring a criminal indictment or impeachment, "all that can come next is whether or not individuals choose to bring a claim against him." If they do, she said, the report certainly provides plenty of behind-the-scenes insight that would greatly improve the specificity of a plaintiff's claims, help craft deposition questions and target discovery requests.

Potential plaintiffs "now have a lot more information about what happened than the usual employee" bringing an employment claim, Berke said. Without ever conducting discovery or deposing a witness, they can benefit from the trove of details in the report, she added.

Click to read the rest of Cuomo Sexual Misconduct Report A Road Map For Lawsuits.

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In an Uncommon Move, McDonald’s Sues Former CEO

August 20, 2020
Sexual Harassment
It’s not every day that a blue chip company decides to sue a former executive, let alone its erstwhile CEO, but this is exactly what McDonald’s did by suing Steve Easterbrook, who had been fired last year for inappropriate conduct, specifically, sexting with an employee.

The Art of the Doctor’s Note

August 19, 2020
Pregnancy Discrimination
We’ve all needed one at some point –– a doctor’s note explaining that we’re out for the count on some otherwise necessary aspect of work or school, at least temporarily. Many people are realizing that because of COVID, they don’t feel safe at work due to a disability, and need to modify their pre-pandemic job to accommodate this new reality. In this type of situation, what do you ask your doctor for? What does such a note need to include to help you successfully advocate for your rights?

The Week in FFCRA Cases: Judge Invalidates DOL Implementation, Expanding Eligibility

August 18, 2020
Disability Discrimination
Leave
The complaints we found relevant this week are eerily similar—parents who need to take care of their children, some of whom are immunocompromised, are being denied telework or leave or are being terminated. Further, we are continuing to see plaintiffs who voice concerns to their employers about workplace safety being terminated after doing so.

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