Kerry Garvis Wright

Given that her clients include such embattled public figures as filmmaker Harvey Weinstein and John Schnatter, founder of Papa Johns International Inc., it makes sense Garvis Wright sees herself as more than just an attorney these days.

"I'm more of a true counselor," said Garvis Wright, a partner at Glaser Weil and co-chair of the firm's employment group. "I find myself not only dispensing legal advice, but also giving non-legal advice like, 'OK, how is this going to impact a career and what can we do to forestall that?'

"'How do you deal with a spouse? Is this something you should tell him or her now? Do we want them by your side when you're responding to these allegations?' So for me, that's interesting."

It's also kept her busy over the last few years. With the advent of the #MeToo movement in 2017, Garvis Wright's practice hasn't changed so much in terms of case type; she's still a go-to employment litigator who came up the ranks alongside powerhouse attorney Patty Glaser.

But the case load?

"It's made me more busy. I've hired a new associate," she said. "It's on a bigger scale because of the proliferation of these claims and a climate where people are feeling comfortable coming forward,"

In addition to the increase in claims, a spate of state legislation has pushed the issue to the forefront, from requiring mandatory sexual harassment training every two years and ending secret settlements to extending to 10 years the time plaintiffs have to file a claim.

"It makes it more difficult to track down witnesses and find proof to either defend or prosecute those claims," Garvis Wright said. "It makes it more challenging sometimes."

More recently, Garvis Wright has moved into conducting internal investigations for companies. At the behest of Guess? Inc.'s board of directors, Garvis Wright investigated allegations of improper misconduct by founder Paul Marciano. Following the investigation, Marciano resigned as CEO last summer.

The investigative work offers Garvis Wright a change of pace, she said. Rather than advocating for clients, she acts as a neutral, independent fact-finder tasked with uncovering the truth.

The challenge is getting people to open up in a non-deposition setting with no threat of perjury. Because of that, the investigative work has given Garvis Wright a healthy dose of skepticism.

"Everyone has an agenda," Garvis Wright said. "You have to understand which side he or she is coming from and view what they say through that lens."

-- Glenn Jeffers