University of Southern California

The University of Southern California and its board of directors have retained a top-tier legal team from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan to combat multiple lawsuits stemming from alleged sexual abuse by a former gynecologist at the campus health center.

Shon Morgan, who chairs Quinn's national class action practice, will take the lead in defending USC (but not the doctor, George Tyndall) against putative class actions that now include dozens of plaintiffs. Morgan declined comment.

USC will also be represented by firm founder John Quinn and partner Mike Williams, who have longstanding relationships with the university. Partner Susan Estrich—once dubbed a “feminist hero” by The Washington Post, and who until recently was also a law professor at USC—will play a role in the university's defense as well.

It's an impressive lineup—but USC is likely to need their collective firepower.  

In May, the Los Angeles Times broke the story about Tyndall's misdeeds just as Michigan State University agreed to pay $500 million to settle claims by sexual assault victims of sports doctor Lawrence G. Nassar.

The first lawsuits against USC and Tyndall, who is represented by medical malpractice defense lawyer N. Denise Taylor, were filed less than a week later.

The plaintiffs allege that the gynecologist sexually violated and abused them under the guise of performing medical exams, and that the university knew about his behavior for years but failed to take action.

“The women who sought care from Dr. Tyndall trusted him and USC to uphold basic promises to protect them and because they needed medical care,” said Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro partner Elizabeth Fegan, who along with name partner Steve Berman filed a putative class action against the university and the doctor on May 21 in Los Angeles federal court. “Dr. Tyndall chose to violate the very people seeking his help, those who would be most vulnerable, and what's worse, USC knew about it.”

Celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred sued a day later. She represents 24 students including Danielle Mohazab, who at a May 22 press conference recounted the doctor's “creepy smile,” inappropriate comments about her race and groping, gloveless examination.

Another pending class was brought by Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein's Jonathan Selbin and Annika Martin, along with Joseph Sauder of Sauder Schelkopf and Marc Godino of Glancy Prongay & Murray.

“Over the years that Tyndall has been employed by USC,” their complaint states, “numerous class members have made eerily similar complaints about his inappropriate, abusive, and harassing behavior, including, but not limited to: Tyndall taking photographs of his female patients' genitals without any medical purpose; making suggestive comments about patients' bodies during gynecological examinations; touching student-patients' bodies in a manner that had no medical purpose; requiring student-patients to lie fully nude on the table during gynecological examinations; and making improper and sexual comments about their bodies and other comments of a sexual or suggestive nature.”

Yet another class action was filed by Girard Gibbs lawyers Daniel Girard, Adam Polk, Jordan Elias and Elizabeth Kramer.

In all, more than 20 lawsuits have been brought against the university and the doctor, who also faces a criminal investigation. The university is also being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for its response to allegations against the doctor.

In other words, the Quinn Emanuel team should have plenty to keep them busy.