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Anti-Bias Strategy + Defense

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ESG: What It Is, Why It Matters, and What Your Company Needs to Know (2025 Update)

Navigating DEI-Mitigating Risks and Protecting Corporate Values

US SIF Forum 2025

IX Communities Open Access: Speaker Eric Akira Tate, Global Employment & Labor Practice co-chair at Morrison Foerster

Navigating DEI: Mitigating Risks and Protecting Corporate Values

How the New Standard of Harm Under Muldrow Impacts Employer Defenses to Title VII Claims and DEI Initiatives

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DOJ Issues Civil Investigative Demands Concerning DEI Practices

Texas Federal Court Vacates Gender Identity-Related Sections of the EEOC’s 2024 Harassment Guidance but Other Sections Remain Effective in Advance of the June 24, 2025 EEO-1 Reporting Deadline

U.S. Supreme Court Reconciles Circuit Split Regarding Standard for “Reverse Discrimination” Claims

DOJ Creates Initiative to Pursue Aggressive False Claims Act Enforcement Against DEI Programs and Civil Rights Violations

2024 State AGs Year in Review

MoFo’s State + Local Government Enforcement Newsletter (February 2025)

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Federal News Network

Federal News Network: A New Anti-Discrimination Guidance Memo from DOJ

Law360

Amid DEI Uncertainty, Cos. Face Pressure From All Sides

HR Dive

SCOTUS Unanimously Sides with Straight Ohio Woman in ‘Reverse Discrimination’ Row

Former DOJ Assistant Attorney General, Carlos Felipe Uriarte, to Lead Morrison Foerster’s Congressional Investigations Practice

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Justice Department Launches Civil Rights Fraud Initiative

Fortune

Donald Trump is Creating a ‘Civil Rights’ Initiative to Target DEI programs in the Private Sector

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Carrie H. Cohen is global co-chair of the Investigations + White Collar Defense practice group and the firm’s State + Local Government Enforcement team. Prior to joining the firm, Carrie served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) where she prosecuted public corruption and securities matters, including obtaining the first trial conviction of former Speaker of the New York State Assembly Sheldon Silver. Carrie also served in the New York State Attorney General’s Office as Chief of the Public Integrity Bureau and an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Bureau where she received the Louis J. Lefkowitz Memorial Award for outstanding service. As a former federal and state prosecutor, Carrie routinely represents corporations, boards, and c-suite executives in government-facing investigative and regulatory matters with a particular focus on state and local government matters. Carrie’s extensive trial experience and distinguished record of success in high‑stakes, white collar defense matters cement her position as a leading lawyer who often is called upon for particularly sensitive matters. Carrie’s trial and white collar expertise have been recognized by a variety of organizations including Chambers USA, which describes her as “a terrific trial lawyer with great judgment and timing, [who] knows how to present complex cases in a digestible way.” Carrie also routinely prepares clients who are called to testify before Congress and state and city legislatures and works on matters that involve multijurisdictional investigations and significant media attention.Carrie is a recognized industry expert in public corruption and state and local government actions. She is frequently selected by government agencies to serve as independent counsel and issue public reports, including her appointment as independent monitor for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, special counsel to the New York City Council, special independent counsel to the City of Rochester, and counsel to the California Attorney General’s Office (CA AG) as well as being part of the Monitorship Team appointed by DOJ for the global Odebrecht corruption matter. She was also appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul to the Metropolitan Transit Authority Inspector General’s Board and serves as its acting chair, and was appointed by the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York as counsel to the Court’s Grievance Committee. Carrie is also an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she teaches a seminar on Public Corruption and the Law.Carrie serves on multiple bar committees and task forces as part of her efforts to promote the rule of law. She was appointed as chair of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Task Force on Domestic Terrorism and Hate Crimes and served as a member of the NYSBA Task Force on Wrongful Convictions. As a leader of the Bar, Carrie was appointed as co-chair of the Federal-State Judicial Advisory Council and previously served as a vice president and trustee of the Federal Bar Council and president of its Inn of Court as well as prior service as a vice president of the New York City Bar, chair of its Executive Committee, and member of its Nominating Committee. Carrie was also appointed by the SDNY to its Criminal Justice Act Panel to serve as counsel to indigent defendants in federal criminal cases.<h4>Representative Experience</h4>Government Appointments/Public Corruption Matters. Independent counsel for federal, state, and local government agencies. Representing elected and appointed public officials, public entities, and individuals doing business with the government in a variety of public corruption-related matters with a focus on public-facing reports, including:<ul><li>Independent monitor for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation related to workplace issues.</li><li>Special independent counsel to the New York City Council related to investigations of certain council members for misconduct and corruption.</li><li>Special counsel to the MTA related to an examination of time, attendance, and overtime, which included presenting a report to the MTA Board.</li><li>Independent counsel to the CA AG related to conducting a review of its public release of confidential personal information associated with firearms permit holders and applicants, which included the preparation and release of a public report.</li><li>Service on the DOJ-appointed Monitorship Team for the global Odebrecht corruption matter.</li><li>County officials related to allegations of official misconduct and bid rigging.</li></ul>Trial Counsel. Serving as first-chair trial counsel for individuals in federal and state court criminal matters. Representations include Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren for state campaign finance charges; Hon. John A. Michalek for state and federal public corruption offenses; and Hon. Sylvia Ash for federal obstruction of justice charges.Financial Institutions/Securities Matters. Representing banks and other financial institutions in investigations of regulatory and consumer-related matters. Representing corporations and individuals in a variety of criminal investigations and regulatory matters involving federal and state securities laws.Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Representing corporations in FCPA investigations across industries and in numerous jurisdictions. Serving on the DOJ-appointed Monitorship Team in the criminal prosecution of Odebrecht.Workplace Misconduct. Conducting investigations for corporations and boards related to workplace misconduct and #MeToo issues and providing related advocacy and legal advice.Cybersecurity. Conducting investigations of cybersecurity incidents and representing companies in related government and regulatory matters concerning disclosures of data and privacy issues.RICO/Civil Fraud/Commercial Litigation. Representing a wide variety of public and private corporations in civil fraud, RICO, and commercial litigation including at trial. Represented UPS at trial in SDNY in a case brought by the NYAG and the City of New York alleging illegal transportation of untaxed cigarettes.

Carrie Cohen

Partner

Andrew Turnbull is a partner in the firm’s Global Employment + Labor Group and co-leader of the firm’s Anti-Bias Strategy + Defense Task Force. He has extensive experience advising, defending, and investigating high stakes and class discrimination, harassment, and whistleblower claims, including enforcement actions by EEOC, DOL, DOJ Civil Rights, ICE, and similar state agencies.  He is also well versed in defending and pursuing employee mobility and trade secret misappropriation claims, including breach of non-competes, non-solicits, and non-disclosures claims as well as and duty of loyalty and trade secrets claims. Andrew also routinely defends and advises companies, board of directors, and executives on the significant reputational, business, and compensation issues arising from executive disputes.A primary focus of Andrew’s practice involves helping companies handle the unique employment issues and challenges from doing business with the federal government, including:<ul><li>Defending whistleblower qui tam and retaliation claims under the False Claims Act, the National Defense Authorization Act, and other whistleblower laws;</li><li>Advising and defending government investigations and litigation under the Service Contract Act, the Davis-Bacon Act, and other prevailing wage laws;</li><li>Compliance and litigation defense relating to federal and state affirmative action requirements and DEI related risks;</li><li>Advising on unique compliance issues for federal contractors, such as mitigating discrimination risks when screening for export control compliance under ITAR and EAR, conducting E-Verify audits and compliance, and navigating the Drug-Free Workplace Act.</li></ul>Andrew is problem-solver. He routinely provides clients from Fortune 100 companies to startups with practical and business-minded risk mitigation strategies for various employment and labor issues, including:<ul><li>Developing DEI, affirmative action, pay transparency, antidiscrimination, and antiharassment programs and policies;</li><li>Conducting pay equity studies, adverse impact analysis, and bias testing of employment tests and tools, including for artificial intelligence;</li><li>Developing trade secrets protection and restrictive covenants strategies;</li><li>Reductions in force, furloughs, and high-risk terminations;</li><li>Risks related to 1099s and other contingent workers; and</li><li>Risks related to I-9 and E-Verify compliance, audits, and raids.</li></ul>Andrew also advises companies and executives on a wide range of employment agreements, including drafting and negotiating executive employment agreements, separation agreements, non-competes and non-solicits, and commission and bonus plans.Andrew also represents employers in matters involving union avoidance, negotiating and drafting collective bargaining agreements, handling union grievances, and avoiding and defending unfair labor practice charges.Prior to joining private practice, Andrew worked as a human resources manager for a company recognized on the Inc. 500, an annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States.  Andrew received his J.D. with honors from the George Washington University Law School, where he served as a notes editor for The George Washington Law Review.  While in law school, Andrew interned at the Commercial Litigation Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice.Andrew is an active member of the steering committee of the Washington Metro Industry Liaison Group.

Andrew Turnbull

Natalie Kernisant is Morrison Foerster’s Chief Workplace Experience Officer. Natalie provides strategic leadership to advance recruiting and retention of talent with a wide range of experiences and perspectives at the firm, as well as providing client development support in the area of inclusion and engagement strategy. She works closely with the firm’s Community Advisory Board and leaders of our various Affinity Programs. Natalie joined Morrison Foerster in November 2013. She was appointed to the newly created role of Chief Workplace Experience Officer in 2025, after having served first as the firm’s Global Director of Diversity and Inclusion and then as the firm’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Natalie served as Human Resources Manager for Risk Management within Global Banking and Markets at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Before that, she practiced trademark and copyright law and then served as the Special Projects Manager in the Office of Institutional Policy & Planning at Harvard Medical School overseeing the school’s 2011 accreditation process.In 2021, Natalie was named by Crain’s New York Business to its list of Notable Black Leaders & Executives 2021. The special section recognizes black men and women who have impacted New York City in major ways and sets out to honor their professional, civic, and philanthropic achievements. In 2023, Natalie was recognized as one of Savoy Magazine’s 2023 Most Influential Executives in Diversity & Inclusion. She was also selected to Law360’s Diversity & Inclusion Editorial Advisory Board, whose goal is to provide feedback on Law360’s coverage as well as expert insight on how to shape future coverage. Additionally, she was recognized in the Financial Times 2023 North America Innovative Lawyers report as one of seven individual “Change Makers” in the legal industry for her strategic leadership of the firm’s efforts to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. In 2024, Natalie was named as a Change Driver in the Annual Diversity Awards of World IP Review (WIPR). The annual Diversity Awards recognize those who have made exceptional contributions to diversity and inclusion in the field of intellectual property.During Natalie’s tenure at MoFo, the firm has received multiple <a href="/community/we-at-mofo/inclusion#awards" target="_self">diversity and inclusion awards and recognitions</a>.

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