Last week, Gunderson Dettmer made headlines due to allegations that its summer associates attended a night club that employs scantily clad go-go dancers for “atmosphere.” This incident, however, is not about a few rogue attorneys forcing a party as it appears. The recent uncovering of certain events suggests that this was an officially sanctioned trip, included on the firm’s calendar of summer events.
According to reports, the outing was not to a conventional strip club, but the venue is known for featuring scantily-clad go-go dancers to create a distinct “atmosphere.” The incident raises concerns and questions about professionalism and potential sexual harassment in the workplace.
The location of the event was the Peek Nightclub at Harrah’s in the Lake Tahoe area. It is also suggested that the firm had an idea about the club’s vibe as it has hosted summers at this club for the past few years.
The incident does not merely revolve around the dancers and the ambiance. It turns out attendees were encouraged to ‘throw them money.’ One insider noted, “senior attorneys in charge of the event went around and handed out $1 bills for this purpose to all of the summer associates and GD attendees,” leading to further questions about the firm’s HR department and procedures.
Adding to the operation’s anonymity, there are unconfirmed reports that the firm didn’t book the table in its name but reserved it under the title of a “School of the Deaf.”
Further adding to the controversy, Gunderson’s unresponsive behaviour towards the complaint of a summer intern about this event was noted, leading to accusations of retaliation. However, this seems unlikely as the firm is currently deferring start dates and laying off personnel. As per insights from insiders, six of the 13 Northern California summers did not get an offer, LA saw one of three denied, and NYC reports nearly 50 percent of the same.
This raises another issue of impropriety as it is perceived as unprofessional for a firm to order club bottle service for the night, knowing it plans on laying people off and not hiring everyone who was present. This entire episode not only reflects poorly on the firm but also on the manner in which it plans and executes so-called ‘official outings.’