Sexual Misconduct: Lessons Learned from Investigations in the Workplace

Staci Dresher, Partner, Associate General Counsel, Mintz Group LLC, USA

Since the Fall of 2017, in the wake of the burgeoning #MeToo movement, outside investigators have been called on to gather the facts in response to an avalanche of sexual misconduct allegations in workplaces. This article is based on lessons we have learned from our investigative work and noted from the coverage of investigations that have been launched in the U.S. and around the world. We will focus on best practices for in-house counsel, human resources, and workplace investigators on how to effectively investigate the allegations, preserve evidence and identify who should be interviewed.

Staci is a partner and associate general counsel at a global corporate investigation firm gathering hidden business facts for corporations, law firms, compliance professionals and non-profits. She manages litigation support, internal investigations and due-diligence operations on the West Coast, specializing in intellectual property and white collar defense investigations, asset searches, FCPA preventative diligence and internal investigations, and other anti-corruption matters.

Mintz Group is a corporate investigations firm with 15 global offices and 200 investigators who collectively speak more than 23 languages fluently. The firm uncovers and gathers business and financial facts needed prior to executive hires and deals, during legal disputes, internal investigations and after fraudulent acts are discovered.