Legal Representation for Misconduct Accusations/Charges
One of the most interesting things that we have encountered in our decades of experience serving as practicing litigators and trial lawyers throughout our careers in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Chicago is the number of men and woman we have met in corporate, professional, or employment settings who were falsely accused of serious wrongs, usually financial improprieties. These are real people who faced real accusations that in some cases took years to prove were false. In the meantime, these victims suffered financially, reputationally, emotionally, and in some cases medically too.
The most pressing problem for any falsely accused person is to clear themselves of the charges. In the civil litigation context, this means defending and defeating the lawsuit alleging the misconduct. That lawsuit could be for breach of contract or fiduciary duty or many other claims or causes. If it is possible to bring a counterclaim for the false accusation and harm caused to the client, then it is advisable to do so. But it is often not possible, either because the party that should be held responsible is not a party to the lawsuit or because no one will take the client seriously until the charges are cleared. This means that defending and disproving the charges at the earliest possible chance is critical. Once that is accomplished, then the client can begin the second phase of the problem: proving that they were falsely accused and seeking just compensation.
Our experience comes from decades representing and advising clients faced with charges and accusations. This includes defending scores of clients facing claims of wrongdoing in civil litigation in federal and state court. We have won many of these cases over the years, including a summary judgment victory in November 2023 and a trial victory in December 2023 both in federal court on behalf of international clients.
We not only defend and defeat false claims, but we also sometimes sue on behalf of clients to seek compensation for the harm caused by false accusations of wrongdoing. This includes claims for defamation, tortious interference with contract, and wrongful use of civil process. We have brought, tried, and settled many such claims over the years.
One of the biggest challenges for any clients facing litigation that may go on for multiple years is how to afford it. We almost never agree to take cases on a contingent fee basis and instead require payment for our services on an ongoing basis. But we do offer rates that are far lower than would be charged if we still worked in large law firms and we work extremely cost effectively because our decades of litigation experience enables us to do so.
If you are facing misconduct allegations, you should engage experienced counsel such as Steve Harvey Law to help guide you through the process. The first step is to have a confidential consultation with counsel and begin the process of defending and defeating the charges, with an eye toward being made whole for the harm caused as soon as reasonably possible.
- This does not include the much larger number of people (with whom we greatly sympathize) falsely accused in the criminal justice system.
- Axtria, Inc. v. OKS Grp., LLC, No. CV 20-6424, 2023 WL 7706260 (E.D. Pa. Nov. 15, 2023)
- Servis One, Inc. v. OKS Grp., LLC, No. CV 20-4661, 2023 WL 8936695 (E.D. Pa. Dec. 27, 2023).