Overview
Educational institutions, religious and not-for-profit institutions, and corporations often find themselves confronted with allegations of employee or student misconduct – including allegations of sexual or gender-based misconduct and sexual harassment. Likewise, corporations of all sizes and across industries often face burdensome allegations of fraud, inquiries from government and regulatory entities, and allegations of whistleblowers.
Attorneys in Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella’s Institutional Risk Management & Internal Investigations group have more than thirty years of experience conducting internal investigations of large corporations, educational institutions, and religious entities. They have successfully assisted clients in enacting protective measures such as establishing policies to prevent employee misconduct, designing and implementing compliance procedures, and providing employee training and audit programs. The pervasive use of technology means that risk management strategies and internal investigations must encompass cyber platforms as well.
These measures serve to mitigate reputational, brand and litigation exposure. For institutions and corporations facing such concerns, our attorney’s extensive crisis management experience, ability to manage the public relations component of investigations while maintaining the client’s privacy, ensures their ability to protect their reputations and brands while minimizing potential damages.
Our attorneys represent and assist clients faced with threatened or pending criminal or civil proceedings, in their dealings with government agencies, state and local regulatory bodies, and grand juries, and can advise on best practices for responding to a subpoena or a request for a face-to-face interview. Former prosecutors, seasoned civil litigators, and employment law specialists assist in advising clients, so that the best possible outcome is reached. The Institutional Risk Management & Internal Investigations group is chaired by partner Joe Roddy, who previously served in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office, where he prosecuted numerous jury trials and oversaw a multitude of criminal investigations. In private practice, Mr. Roddy has coordinated and conducted internal investigations for Fortune 500 companies, closely held companies, and local municipalities.
