Financial Services Part II: Sexual Harassment & What Employers Should Do About #MeToo

Lauri F. Rasnick is a Member of the Firm in the Labor and Employment practice in the firm's New York office.

Ms. Rasnick has significant experience representing employers in labor and employment matters. She regularly advises clients in many aspects of the employment relationship, including avoidance of litigation, employee terminations, disability and religious accommodation issues, wage and hour compliance, internal investigations, labor relations, and compliance with federal, state and local statutes. Ms. Rasnick frequently advises clients on the enforcement and drafting of restrictive covenants and employment agreements, and defends claims for bonuses and other compensation and litigates claims involving restrictive covenants and trade secrets.

Ms. Rasnick has also represented employers in a full spectrum of employment law matters in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies. She has also engaged in the mediation and arbitration of employment claims, both in the traditional labor and employment contexts.

Ms. Rasnick writes and speaks on a variety of employment issues, including sexual harassment and respect in the workplace, wage and hour practices, the Family and Medical Leave Act, preventing and dealing with employment discrimination claims and charges, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, E-mail and Internet usage, creating appropriate employment policies, union avoidance, and trade secrets.

Nancy L. Gunzenhauser is an Associate in the Labor and Employment practice, in the New York office of Epstein Becker Green.

Ms. Gunzenhauser:

• Counsels clients on compliance with EEO laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, worker classification issues, and other federal, state, and local statutes governing the workplace
• Advises employers in all facets of the employment relationship, from pre-employment considerations and hiring to terminations and post-employment restrictions
• Prepares employment, consulting, and separation agreements
• Audits employers’ employment policies, procedures, and handbooks to ensure compliance with applicable laws and best practices
• Conducts workplace training seminars for employees, managers, and human resources personnel
• Assists in defending clients in labor and employment-related litigation in a broad array of matters, such as discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, and wage and hour disputes
• Prior to joining Epstein Becker Green, Ms. Gunzenhauser worked as an intern in the Law Department of the Kings County Supreme Court; the Employment Law Department of one the world's largest professional services, risk management, and insurance brokerage firms; and the Social Security Administration, among other positions.

While at law school, Ms. Gunzenhauser received the CALI "Excellence for the Future Award" in Privacy in the Workplace.

EDWARD M. YENNOCK is a Senior Counsel in the Employment, Labor & Workforce Management and Litigation practices, in the New York office of Epstein Becker Green. He focuses his practice on the areas of employment disputes and complex civil litigation.

In 2017, Mr. Yennock was named to the New York Metro Rising Stars list, in the areas of Employment Litigation: Defense and Employment & Labor.

Mr. Yennock:

• Represents employers in lawsuits, arbitrations, and mediations involving a range of employment law issues, including breaches of restrictive covenants and confidentiality agreements, compensation disputes, misappropriation of confidential information and trade secrets, raiding, partnership disputes, and harassment and discrimination claims
• Conducts internal investigations and prepares employers for anticipated litigation and regulatory action
• Prosecutes and defends appeals in federal circuit courts of appeal around the country

In addition, Mr. Yennock understands the nuances of litigating matters that attract substantial public and media scrutiny. He works closely with institutional clients’ broader crisis management teams to ensure that an embattled client’s interests are being protected both inside and outside the courtroom.

Representative Experience

• Conducted an internal investigation of claimed employee misconduct on behalf of a prominent medical institution
• Advised a major pharmaceutical company regarding matters of compliance with an FDA consent decree
• Counseled financial firms engaged in the business of litigation funding on a range of issues related to their existing and prospective investments, including risks and upside associated therewith as well as privilege and document retention issues
• On behalf of a client involved in multibillion-dollar, transnational environmental litigation, prepared winning appellate briefs submitted before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, and D.C. Circuits, and successfully opposed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari before the Supreme Court of the United States
• Defended the City of New York and its private contractors against thousands of claims arising from the post-9/11 recovery and clean-up operation at the World Trade Center disaster site
• Defended a global manufacturer of organic and specialty foods against multimillion-dollar claims arising from a nationwide product recall
• In a multi-jurisdictional trademark infringement litigation, executed a removal and transfer strategy resulting in dismissal of counterclaims

Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Mr. Yennock was associated with an international law and public-policy firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. While at law school, Mr. Yennock served on the Editorial Board of the Seton Hall Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law. He also served as an intern at the New York State Office of the Attorney General’s Litigation Bureau in Manhattan, where he assisted in the defense of harassment and discrimination suits and other employment-related litigation.