Sexual misconduct is a reality in many workplaces, industries and other settings. It has affected hundreds of thousands of individuals in the United States, many of whom were victimized by someone in a position of authority, making it more difficult for victims to come forward. Girard Sharp is committed to seeking justice for survivors of sexual abuse and harassment, and we are dedicated to upholding the rights of the most vulnerable.
Our firm is also dedicated to the larger sphere of issues that women face today. Girard Sharp lawyers have experience working on a diverse range of women’s advocacy cases, from holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for marketing birth-control pills that caused life-threatening blood clots to seeking restitution for families whose eggs and embryos were mishandled and lost at a large fertility clinic.
Our Sexual Abuse and Women’s Advocacy attorneys have a track record of successfully taking on some of the world’s largest corporations and institutions on these issues. Girard Sharp has the knowledge, experience and resources to level the playing field.
Girard Sharp lawyers obtained a $14.75 million jury verdict on behalf of five patients of Pacific Fertility Center whose frozen eggs and embryos were compromised by a cryopreservation tank failure at PFC’s San Francisco clinic in March 2018. The jury found that the tank manufacturer, Chart Industries, acted negligently and is strictly liable for the destruction of this irreplaceable human reproductive material. The PFC litigation continues on behalf of many other patients.
Girard Sharp lawyers serve as co-lead counsel, in a class action against the University of Southern California and campus gynecologist George Tyndall M.D., on behalf of women who were sexually abused by Tyndall during his long tenure at USC. A federal judge approved a class action settlement with USC and the claims process has now concluded, with universal praise from class members for the compassionate and generous approach to making victims whole. The settlement requires USC to adopt and implement procedures for identification, prevention and reporting of sexual and racial misconduct, as well as recognize the harm done to all of Tyndall’s patients. The settlement establishes a $215 million fund and gives every survivor a choice in how to participate.
Girard Sharp lawyers also filed a class action lawsuit against UCLA on behalf of women treated by UCLA gynecologist Dr. James Heaps. Heaps was charged with sexual battery and exploitation of patients while working as a staff gynecologist at UCLA—a position he held for almost thirty years. The UC Regents agreed to resolve the claims for $73,000,000, plus injunctive relief measures, and the District Court granted final approval of the settlement, finding that “Class Counsel delivered robust results for the Class, negotiating a flexible and trauma-informed settlement that has provided $73 million in compensation to class members and precipitated significant institutional changes at UCLA. No class member objected. Class Counsel crafted an innovative claims process that was sensitive to the trauma many Class members experienced, providing a non-adversarial alternative to individual litigation for class members.”
Girard Sharp LLP is currently investigating potential claims on behalf of abuse victims of the Southern Baptist Church.
Girard Sharp attorneys are currently investigating potential claims on behalf of victims of the reported actions of Sean “P Diddy” Combs. Combs was arrested on September 16, 2024, on multiple charges associated with sexual abuse and human trafficking.
Girard Sharp attorneys are currently investigating reports of former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Mike Jefferies forcing aspiring A&F models into unwanted sexual acts.
Girard Sharp represents IVF patients of Pacific Fertility Center whose eggs and embryos were damaged or destroyed in a cryopreservation tank failure. On June 11, 2021, after a three-week trial, a jury found the tank manufacturer, Chart Industries Inc., liable for a defect in the tank and for its negligent failure to recall a part that malfunctioned, a “controller” meant to monitor liquid nitrogen levels. The jury awarded more than $14 million in damages to three women who lost eggs and a married couple who lost embryos in the catastrophic March 2018 tank failure. The three women were each awarded between $2 million and $3 million, and the couple was awarded $7.2 million. Girard Sharp represents over 80 families who lost reproductive material in the tank failure.
Girard Sharp served as co-lead counsel in a class action against the University of Southern California and campus gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall on behalf of women who were sexually abused by Tyndall during his long tenure at USC. The case generated $215 million in recoveries for survivors. In addition to requiring that USC recognize the harm done to all of Tyndall’s patients, the settlement requires USC to adopt and implement procedures for identification, prevention and reporting of sexual and racial misconduct.
Girard Sharp lawyers filed a class action lawsuit against UCLA on behalf of women treated by UCLA gynecologist Dr. James Heaps. Heaps was charged with sexual battery and exploitation of patients while working as a staff gynecologist at UCLA—a position he held for almost thirty years. The UC Regents agreed to resolve the claims for $73 million and injunctive relief measures, and the court granted final approval of the settlement.
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