Harold Ford Jr. has put together a formidable team of lawyers to get his reputation back.
Ford, a former Democratic congressman from Tennessee, was fired from Morgan Stanley last month[1] “for conduct inconsistent with our values and in violation of our policies,” a spokeswoman said.
The team includes litigators Beth Wilkinson, John Singer and Michael Deutsch, plus defamation lawyers Tom Clare and Libby Locke.
A friend of Ford says that he was never told why he was let go, and there was only one accusation of physical contact against him, when a woman claimed that he grabbed her arm four years ago to steer her into an elevator. Ford denies it.
His accuser, journalist, also told Morgan Stanley HR that Ford later pestered her to meet with him until she told him to stop. But maintaining contacts in the media was part of Ford’s job.
“He was railroaded and fired within 24 hours of denying he had done anything wrong,” the friend said.
Ford, married with two children, said last month that he would sue Morgan Stanley for wrongful termination and to clear his name. “There was no sexual harassment,” a friend said.
“He’s been smeared.”
“It was widely known Morgan Stanley had been looking at getting rid of Ford ever since his mentor, Greg Fleming, left the company,” Ford’s pal said. “This woman’s complaint gave them the excuse they needed to let him go.”
References
- ^ fired from Morgan Stanley last month (nypost.com)