Allegations of serious misconduct have struck Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA), a leading legal recruitment firm. A suit filed in New York state court on Tuesday detailed claims of sexual assault against one of MLA’s former high-performing partners, and accuses the firm of covering up the misconduct.
The lawsuit hopes to raise funds for the Chapter 7 bankruptcy estate of a former MLA recruiter, Sharon Mahn, who was fired in 2009 amidst allegations of trade secret theft. The complaint recounts an incident from 2006 when Mahn was sexually assaulted by a high-profile partner at the firm, later identified as Lawrence Mullman, who was the global leader of MLA’s law firm practice at the time. Noteworthy is that this incident occurred just a few months after Mahn had joined the recruiting firm.
When Mahn reported the incident to her supervisor, she was warned not to “make a big deal” of the situation, or risk damaging her career prospects. The lawsuit alleges that this case of sexual assault and the attempts by some current and former employees to downplay and cover it up, acts as a clear example of the systemic issues in the firm.
This series of events were detailed in a 41-page complaint that, if proven, could provoke significant reputational damage for the recruitment firm. As these allegations come to light, time will reveal the factual accuracy of these charges and their potential impact on MLA.