Lieff Cabraser partner Kelly Dermody is featured in a recent Ms. Magazine article examining the continued prevalence of sexual harassment and assault in the financial services industry, even amid renewed scrutiny following disclosures involving Jeffrey Epstein and his ties to the industry.
Drawing on more than two decades representing women on Wall Street, Kelly highlighted the pervasive nature of misconduct in finance, noting there are “too many stories to even know where to begin.” Her experience reflects a pattern of behavior that spans workplace harassment, coercion, and serious sexual assault—often occurring in environments where oversight is limited and reporting carries professional risk.
The article explores how entrenched power structures, widespread use of nondisclosure agreements, and profit-driven incentives that prioritize revenue over accountability continue to discourage reporting and shield misconduct. Research conducted in 2018, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, found that nearly 60% of women in financial services experienced sexual harassment at work, underscoring the systemic nature of the issue. Despite increased awareness, meaningful progress remains difficult to achieve.
Kelly emphasized that progress will require structural change, including greater transparency around workplace complaints and outcomes, stronger enforcement of anti-bias laws, and increased representation of women in leadership roles across the industry.
Read the full article: https://msmagazine.com/2026/03/19/wall-street-epstein-women-sexual-assault-rape-harassment/
About Kelly M. Dermody
The Managing Partner of Lieff Cabraser’s San Francisco office, Kelly M. Dermody specializes in class and collective actions on behalf of plaintiffs in civil rights, employment, and consumer cases, including gender discrimination cases against Google and Goldman Sachs. Kelly was also named a 2023 Law360 MVP in the category of Class Action and Employment Law. Additional case work includes wage suppression claims against technology, healthcare, and academic institutions; overtime and lost pay lawsuits for low-wage workers, I/T professionals, and foreign nationals working for American corporations; and ERISA claims that she has tried on behalf of employees and retirees for pension plan abuses. She also leads Lieff Cabraser’s representation of women who allege their ovarian and uterine cancer was caused by long-term use of dangerous hair relaxer products.
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