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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Thursday she would be surprised if the United States doesn’t at some point impose sanctions on Russian firms or entities covered by a U.S. sanctions law that went into effect in late January.

The Trump administration faced criticism when the law went into effect and the department issued a list of wealthy Russians but failed to take any punitive action. Nauert told a briefing on Thursday the department has people monitoring transactions worldwide to see if sanctions are merited.

“As you know we don’t forecast sanctions,” she told the briefing, “but I would be very surprised if there weren’t sanctions in the future.”

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Talbots Law has arranged for author and legal services expert Mitch Kowalski to speak on 2030: A Completely New World for Professional Services Firms on April 26 at 8.15pm.

Places can be booked at https://bcbf.ticketleap.com/mitch-kowalski—2030-a-completely-new-world-for-professional-s/

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At least two staff members from one of New Zealand’s top law firms have left after allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour towards young, female law-clerk students.

And Victoria University, which confirmed allegations involving several of its students, said it understood police continued to have an “open file” on the matter.

Russell McVeagh chief executive Gary McDiarmid confirmed last night that the firm had received “serious allegations” about events in Wellington more than two years ago.

It is understood the allegations involved students in the firm’s summer law-clerk programme.

“Where allegations were made, we immediately conducted a full internal investigation at the time and initiated a formal process. Those who were the subject of the allegations left the firm following the investigation,” McDiarmid said.

He said he would not discuss specific details for privacy reasons.

Newsroom.co.nz, which revealed the allegations yesterday, said two incidents happened at Christmas functions and another at the El Horno Bar in Wellington.
At least one complaint was made to police about a man’s behaviour at El Horno.

Police said this morning they could not confirm whether or not certain organisations or individuals were under investigation.

Victoria University Vice Chancellor Grant Guilford understood a young law clerk student who was part of a summer programme made an allegation of sexual assault.

Guilford said he was aware of several other young women who also allegedly experienced sexually inappropriate behaviour at the time.

At the time the university believed it was a police matter so it focused on supporting the young women and ensuring a safe environment for future workplace students.

“Our feeling was that we couldn’t be involved in the complaint because it was a police matter other than supporting our students that had been impacted [and] helping to advocate for them.”

He also said he could not give specific details because of privacy issues.

However, the law firm had taken steps to address the matter and he understood police continued to have open files.

“You can imagine how you feel just being appointed in your first job, all of sudden to find you’re assaulted. Creates a completely new sense of ‘that’s why they wanted to hire me; it wasn’t for my ability or because I was doing well’.”

Guilford said the university had since worked with Russell McVeagh and others to make major changes to the clerkship programme.

“We have worked closely with Russell McVeagh and other firms to ensure that young women or any young person is well-protected.”

This included better induction, help hotlines for those exposed to bad behaviour and reinforced HR policies.

McDiarmid said the firm had “zero tolerance” to bad behaviour.

“[We] will have no hesitation to act if we are alerted to behaviour that contravenes our values, with robust processes in place to investigate and resolve any issues.

“We continue to take all possible steps to create a ‘speak out’ culture and as part of this, have made it clear to our staff that there will be no repercussions for speaking out in any circumstance.”

McDiarmid said Russell McVeagh has always taken employees’ concerns “extremely seriously”.

“We are committed to addressing any issues of harassment at Russell McVeagh, and in our profession generally, by making it known that any such behaviour is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“In addition, we have been and are working closely with many of the other major law firms and the universities to develop a ‘transition to work’ programme and have appointed an independent person, to provide additional support to our staff and graduates within the profession as they commence their careers from university.”

Guilford said the university had been in contact with the women at the time.

“I think this is a major issue for New Zealand society. It is quite difficult for a young woman in this situation to consider undertaking a complaint with the police and going through the court system. It’s as little as 3 per cent of our sexual assault cases actually do end up going through the police and into the courts.

“I think if anything that comes of this of any good, it’s that we face up to these things in our workplaces and make sure there’s a zero tolerance of it across the country.

“I know from my interactions with the survivors of those incidents how catastrophic this can be for a young person’s confidence. I don’t think that is understood well by our society.”

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At least two staff members from one of New Zealand’s top law firms have left after allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour towards young, female law-clerk students.

And Victoria University, which confirmed allegations involving several of its students, said it understood police continued to have an “open file” on the matter.

Russell McVeagh chief executive Gary McDiarmid confirmed last night that the firm had received “serious allegations” about events in Wellington more than two years ago.

It is understood the allegations involved students in the firm’s summer law-clerk programme.

“Where allegations were made, we immediately conducted a full internal investigation at the time and initiated a formal process. Those who were the subject of the allegations left the firm following the investigation,” McDiarmid said.

He said he would not discuss specific details for privacy reasons.

Newsroom.co.nz, which revealed the allegations yesterday, said two incidents happened at Christmas functions and another at the El Horno Bar in Wellington.
At least one complaint was made to police about a man’s behaviour at El Horno.

Police said this morning they could not confirm whether or not certain organisations or individuals were under investigation.

Victoria University Vice Chancellor Grant Guilford understood a young law clerk student who was part of a summer programme made an allegation of sexual assault.

Guilford said he was aware of several other young women who also allegedly experienced sexually inappropriate behaviour at the time.

At the time the university believed it was a police matter so it focused on supporting the young women and ensuring a safe environment for future workplace students.

“Our feeling was that we couldn’t be involved in the complaint because it was a police matter other than supporting our students that had been impacted [and] helping to advocate for them.”

He also said he could not give specific details because of privacy issues.

However, the law firm had taken steps to address the matter and he understood police continued to have open files.

“You can imagine how you feel just being appointed in your first job, all of sudden to find you’re assaulted. Creates a completely new sense of ‘that’s why they wanted to hire me; it wasn’t for my ability or because I was doing well’.”

Guilford said the university had since worked with Russell McVeagh and others to make major changes to the clerkship programme.

“We have worked closely with Russell McVeagh and other firms to ensure that young women or any young person is well-protected.”

This included better induction, help hotlines for those exposed to bad behaviour and reinforced HR policies.

McDiarmid said the firm had “zero tolerance” to bad behaviour.

“[We] will have no hesitation to act if we are alerted to behaviour that contravenes our values, with robust processes in place to investigate and resolve any issues.

“We continue to take all possible steps to create a ‘speak out’ culture and as part of this, have made it clear to our staff that there will be no repercussions for speaking out in any circumstance.”

McDiarmid said Russell McVeagh has always taken employees’ concerns “extremely seriously”.

“We are committed to addressing any issues of harassment at Russell McVeagh, and in our profession generally, by making it known that any such behaviour is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“In addition, we have been and are working closely with many of the other major law firms and the universities to develop a ‘transition to work’ programme and have appointed an independent person, to provide additional support to our staff and graduates within the profession as they commence their careers from university.”

Guilford said the university had been in contact with the women at the time.

“I think this is a major issue for New Zealand society. It is quite difficult for a young woman in this situation to consider undertaking a complaint with the police and going through the court system. It’s as little as 3 per cent of our sexual assault cases actually do end up going through the police and into the courts.

“I think if anything that comes of this of any good, it’s that we face up to these things in our workplaces and make sure there’s a zero tolerance of it across the country.

“I know from my interactions with the survivors of those incidents how catastrophic this can be for a young person’s confidence. I don’t think that is understood well by our society.”

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Staff have left a leading Wellington law firm amid allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour from students in a summer law clerk programme. 

Victoria University of Wellington vice-chancellor professor Grant Guilford said in October 2016 they received complaints about the behaviour of staff at law firm Russell McVeagh during the 2015-16 summer. 

“We are extremely disappointed that the incidents occurred.” 

The matter was referred to the Police, he said.

READ MORE:
* Where the dangers in the #MeToo movement lie
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* US gymnastics sexual abuse case shows the need for vigilance
 

“Victoria was not involved in the resolution of the complaints as we ascertained this was a matter being investigated by the Police.”

Russell McVeagh chief executive Gary McDiarmid said more than two years ago they received serious allegations related to incidents in Wellington. 

“We immediately conducted a full internal investigation at the time and initiated a formal process.”

Those who were the subject of allegations left the firm after the investigation, he said.

“Out of respect for the privacy of the women involved, we have no further details to share.” 

As a responsible employer, Russell McVeagh took employees’ concerns “extremely seriously”.

Russell McVeagh were committed to ensuring their workplace was a supportive and safe environment for all staff, and their safety and wellbeing was their priority, McDiarmid said.

They had a “zero tolerance” for bad behaviour. 

“We continue to take all possible steps to create a ‘speak out’ culture and as part of this, have made it clear to our staff that there will be no repercussions for speaking out in any circumstance.”  

Russell McVeagh were committed to addressing issues of harassment, and in the law profession generally, he said.

“Any such behaviour is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

“We have been asked by the women affected to respect their privacy, and therefore, will not be commenting further.”

The firm had been working with other major law firms and universities to develop a “transition to work” programme. 

An independent person had been appointed to provide additional support to staff and graduates as they started their law careers, he said. 

Russell McVeagh’s website describes the programme as an opportunity for students to work in “New Zealand’s top law firm” alongside some of the best solicitors in the country.

Students could “meet some great people and have all the perks of working at a top tier firm”, the website says. 

“Our aim is for each of our summer clerks to have a great summer, get to know our firm, our people and our values and ultimately, to join us as a graduate once they finish university.” 

Guilford said the university stepped in to ensure the safety of summer clerks working in the firm in the future, but was not involved in the resolution of the complaints. 

“We are extremely cautious about not doing anything to compromise this investigation.

“We were, however, involved in supporting our students and advocating for them to protect their rights in the process, including their right to privacy.” 

The reports from the students were discussed by the New Zealand vice-chancellors committee, and the New Zealand Law Deans, he said. 

“[They] discussed a focus on ensuring the safety of future summer clerks working at Russell McVeagh.”

Student safety was “of paramount importance” to the university, he said. 

“Victoria has a clear pathway for reporting sexual violence and harassment, whether it happens on campus or off campus.

“We provide information about consent on our website and when a disclosure is made, we provide strong support through our health and counselling services and other student support services.” 

Guilford said Russell McVeagh’s senior staff showed genuine concern for the students involved. 

“We did witness, amongst senior staff at Russell McVeagh, a determination to ensure the safety of future summer clerks at their own workplace and in the wider legal profession.” 

Police have been approached for comment.

 – Stuff

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LITIGATION ATTORNEYS

BRIAN HORNE: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP – Partner

Brian Horne is a Knobbe Martens partner in the Los Angeles office. He has handled cases involving patent, trademark, trade dress, copyright, trade secret, unfair competition and breach of contract matters. Horne has litigated cases in United States District Courts nationwide, as well as at the Federal Circuit and International Trade Commission. He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in many technological areas, including pharmaceuticals, mechanical, medical and electronic devices.

Among Horne’s representative matters include Masimo Corp. v. Philips Electronics North America Corp. in which he represented medical-device maker Masimo and achieved a complete victory in obtaining a jury verdict of over $466 million for lost-profits damages against Philips for infringing two Masimo patents. The jury also rejected Philips’ infringement claims seeking $169 million.

RICKEY IVIE: Ivie, McNeill & Wyatt PC – Partner

Rickey Ivie is the president and founding partner of Ivie, McNeill & Wyatt, the largest black owned law firm in the nation and one of Southern California’s premier full-service law firms, representing a broad range of businesses, public entities and individuals in a vast array of litigation matters and transactions. In his four decades of litigation experience, Ivie has tried more than 100 jury trials, including precedent-setting cases that have changed the practice of law and improved the lives of millions of people.

Over the span of his career, Ivie has handled a range of significant matters related to personal injury, wrongful death, civil rights violations, contract disputes, trademark, copyright and corporate and commercial litigation. His clients range from individuals and government entities to well-known corporations including restaurants, entertainment companies and commercial construction businesses. Since becoming a founding partner in 1980, Ivi has solidified Ivie, growing the firm significantly in the last 30 years.

RANDYE B. SOREF: Polsinelli LLP – Principal

Soref is a nationally recognized attorney who focuses her practice on bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, corporate workouts, reorganizations and commercial litigation. She represents all classes of creditors in bankruptcy proceedings and out of court restructurings, including Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors throughout the United States.

Soref routinely represents creditors, committees, sellers, and buyers and advises on bankruptcy strategy, counseling, reorganization, enforcement of debt instruments and litigation. Soref has been lead attorney in nationally known distressed retail and apparel companies, including e-commerce companies. She has also been the lead attorney in numerous distressed healthcare matters involving large nationally based hospitals, health plans, health care providers, and skilled nursing facilities, as well as patient care ombudsmen appointed by the U.S. Trustee who Soref counsels regarding privacy related issues. Soref also counsels institutional clients on credit documentation, collection efforts and other credit matters.

ALEX M. WEINGARTEN: Venable LLP – Partner

Alex Weingarten represents clients in all facets of entertainment, business and probate litigation. He does not merely litigate cases and settle; he has a strong track record of picking juries and winning verdicts. Clients look to Weingarten to handle high-profile cases, protect their integrity during the very public litigation process, provide a fresh approach, and suggest novel and overlooked strategies. He is aggressive about optimizing results and prides himself on finding the most direct route to victory. Sometimes that means finding a creative solution around a difficult problem; sometimes it means bowling through it.

Among his high-profile cases was representing hip-hop superstar Snoop Dogg in a lawsuit against beer maker Pabst Brewing, claiming the firm owes Snoop Dogg money from the sale of the company and its beer line. Weingarten won every motion filed by either side in the case – including defeating the defendants’ motion for summary judgment and another motion to have the case transferred to Illinois.

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By SAM KIPLAGAT
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Hydrocarbon sources in the Eastern Mediterranean have ignited diplomatic spats between Turkey and the EU, Greece and Greek Cyprus after Turkey sent a warship to the region on Friday, but Turkey continues to remain within the boundaries of international maritime law

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