A new lawsuit filed yesterday in the Southern District of New York alleges a combination of age discrimination and COVID-19 financial pressures led to a Shearman & Sterling staffer being fired. Mark Kanyuk, 62, former global manager of facilities and audiovisual infrastructure at Shearman alleges in his lawsuit that the firm “chose to start the [COVID-19] layoffs with one of its oldest and most committed employees.”
According to the complaint, improper age bias is evidenced by Kanyuk’s supervisor repeatedly calling him “old man.” Additionally, the plaintiff alleges others made jokes about how long Kanyuk was at Shearman, which was over 25 years.
The complaint also takes aim at the firm’s claim Kanyuk was fired for cause (receiving kickbacks from vendors he worked with in the course of his employment):
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Defendant informed Plaintiff on the day of his termination that he was accused of unethical behavior, taking kickbacks from vendors. Defendant Shearman & Sterling LLP did not bother to tell Plaintiff who made this accusation, let alone give him an opportunity to address it. To be sure, Plaintiff still does not know specifically what unethical conduct he is purported to have engaged in. His boss simply told him he was terminated and offered him two weeks of severance pay.
When reached for comment, a firm spokesperson disputed the allegations in the complaint and said the plaintiff was fired for cause:
We have not made any layoffs at the firm – whether in relation to COVID-19 or anything else. Mr Kanyuk was terminated for cause, on the basis of substantial evidence of inappropriate conduct in the performance of his job. The plaintiff’s allegations are completely without merit and the firm will contest them vigorously.
Read the full complaint below.
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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).