Trusted sexual harassment attorneys with decades of experience representing victims in high-profile and media-covered cases.
If you’ve been sexually harassed by a celebrity, executive, producer, athlete, or public figure in San Francisco, we understand the pressure you may be under to stay quiet. At The Bloom Firm, we understand what is at stake by bringing this offense to light. But we believe that you deserve to have your voice heard and obtain a sense of justice for what happened to you. Our San Francisco, CA high profile sexual harassment lawyer understands both the legal fight and the public aspect. We handle these cases on contingency, meaning don’t accept payment unless we win your case.
High Profile Sexual Harassment Attorney San Francisco, CA
What makes a sexual harassment case “high profile”? It’s not just about fame, as it points to the power imbalances that are present. When the person who harassed you has publicists, in-house lawyers, and a brand to protect, their defense strategy often starts before you’ve even decided whether to file.
A high-profile sexual harassment attorney in San Francisco handles the same legal claims as any harassment case, but the practice is different. Discovery is more contested, confidentiality agreements get weaponized, and media coverage can affect witnesses, employers, and even jurors. The accused’s attorneys are often some of the most well-resourced firms in the country.
Types of High Profile Sexual Harassment Cases We Handle in San Francisco
We represent individuals who’ve been harassed by figures in entertainment, media, finance, professional sports, politics, and beyond. San Francisco’s concentration of tech executives, venture capitalists, and media figures creates its own distinct landscape of power and harassment.
- Sexual harassment. Unwanted touching, inappropriate comments, persistent sexual advances, and behavior that creates a hostile work or professional environment. These claims apply regardless of how famous or wealthy the person on the other side is.
- Quid pro quo harassment. When someone conditions a job, role, contract, or opportunity on sexual favors or submission to unwanted conduct. We’ve handled these claims involving producers, directors, musicians, and industry executives.
- Sexual favoritism. When an employer or supervisor grants advantages to employees based on a sexual relationship, creating a discriminatory environment for others.
- Sexual assault. Civil claims arising from assault in professional or industry settings. We have won multi-million dollar jury verdicts in cases involving sexual assault by high-profile individuals.
- Retaliation. If you reported harassment and were fired, demoted, blacklisted, or shut out of opportunities in response, that retaliation is separately actionable. It happens frequently in industries where the accused controls access.
- Sexual discrimination. Harassment that is tied to gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation in professional environments, including entertainment and media industries where informal power structures often go unchecked.
- Harassment by photographers and media figures. We’ve represented models, actors, and production staff harassed by photographers, fashion executives, directors, and producers. These environments often normalize conduct that is plainly unlawful.
- Hostile work environment. Pervasive and severe conduct that makes a workplace intolerable, even if no single incident rises to assault. When that conduct involves a public figure or someone widely known in an industry, the harm to victims is often compounded.
Why Choose The Bloom Firm for High Profile Sexual Harassment in San Francisco, CA?
A Proven Record Against Powerful Defendants
Lisa Bloom founded The Bloom Firm in 2010 and has been practicing law since 1992, when she was admitted to the California Bar after graduating from Yale Law School. She is a trial attorney who has represented victims in sexual harassment, sexual assault, and civil rights cases for over three decades. A nationally recognized figure in high-profile litigation, Lisa has appeared on CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Court TV as a legal analyst, and has been a Super Lawyer every year since 2015. She represented Janice Dickinson in her defamation case against Bill Cosby, one of the earliest and most publicly contested cases in that wave of litigation.
Arick Fudali is a former assistant state attorney in Broward County, Florida. He has represented survivors of sexual abuse in civil litigation since 2011, and is a regular legal commentator on CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, and News Nation. Arick is admitted to practice in California, New York, and Florida. He has been part of the litigation team on the firm’s largest verdicts and is a vocal public advocate for victims’ rights. His trial background, combined with years on the plaintiff’s side of high-profile cases, shapes the way he approaches these matters from day one.
The Bloom Firm is also the right choice if you need a sexual harassment lawyer in San Francisco, CA whose practice encompasses the broader landscape of civil claims and those of a high-profile nature.
Results That Matter
The Bloom Firm has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of clients across sexual harassment, sexual assault, civil rights, and employment matters. That includes a $35,500,000 sexual harassment result, an $11,000,000 sexual harassment verdict, and an $8,400,000 jury verdict in a case involving a well-known television producer. We also secured nearly $20 million across two jury trials against a high-profile TV personality for sexual harassment, sexual assault, and retaliation.
Understanding High Profile Sexual Harassment Cases
Harassment, Liability, and What You Can Recover in San Francisco
California law is broader than federal law in several respects, as it covers employers of any size and extends protections to independent contractors and unpaid interns, which is especially significant in entertainment, media, and creative industries. Liability in a high-profile case can extend beyond the individual harasser:
- Employer liability: An employer may be directly liable if it knew or should have known about harassment and failed to take corrective action.
- Third-party liability: In some cases, production companies, agencies, studios, or platforms can be held liable for the conduct of contractors or talent they control.
- Retaliation claims: Separate and independently recoverable if adverse action followed a complaint.
- Economic damages: Lost wages, lost contracts, lost business opportunities, and future earnings affected by the harassment.
- Non-economic damages: Emotional distress, harm to reputation, loss of enjoyment of professional or personal life.
- Punitive damages: Available in California when the conduct is sufficiently malicious or oppressive.
In high-profile cases, damages can be substantial precisely because the victim’s professional harm is measurable. A documented industry access loss or income that a jury can quantify can produce larger verdicts than anonymous workplace claims.
Important Aspects of Your Case
When meeting with you about the high profile sexual harassment case, there are a few things that consistently shape how these cases unfold:
- Documentation matters early. Text messages, emails, voicemails, and any written record of the conduct or the aftermath should be preserved immediately. In industries where communication happens informally, these elements of proof can be quickly deleted or altered.
- NDAs and confidentiality provisions. Many victims of harassment in entertainment and media signed agreements that they believe bar them from speaking or filing claims.
- Industry blacklisting as retaliation. In entertainment, sports, and media, retaliation rarely comes in the form of a formal termination letter, as it can be in the form of opportunities that are no longer available to them.
- Statute of limitations: Under California law, you generally have three years from the date of the harassment to file a civil lawsuit.
Typical Case Timeline
High-profile sexual harassment litigation in San Francisco moves through several stages, which we have listed as follows:
- Investigation and filing: We gather evidence, assess all viable claims, and file a complaint in the appropriate court. In some cases, an EEOC or CRD charge must be filed first before proceeding to civil court.
- Defendant’s response: The other side answers or moves to dismiss. In high-profile cases, aggressive early motion practice is common.
- Discovery: Depositions, document requests, and interrogatories. This phase is often the most contested and can last a year or more in complex cases.
- Mediation or settlement discussions: Many cases resolve before trial. We negotiate from a position of trial readiness, not desperation.
- Trial: When the case warrants it, we go to trial. Our attorneys have jury verdict experience in sexual harassment cases at the highest levels.
What to Bring to Your Consultation
Come prepared with the information and proof you already have, you don’t need everything organized to start the conversation. It does help us if you have:
- Any written communications related to the harassment (texts, emails, DMs)
- Names of potential witnesses or others who witnessed similar conduct
- Employment or contract documents relevant to your professional relationship with the accused
- Any agreements you’ve signed, including NDAs, arbitration clauses, or settlement agreements from prior matters
- A timeline of events as you remember them
California Legal Resources for Sexual Harassment Cases
California has some of the broadest protections for harassment victims in the country. Below are resources for laws and agencies relevant to your case:
- California Civil Rights Department (Formerly DFEH): Enforces the Fair Employment and Housing Act and accepts complaints for workplace harassment and discrimination.
- California Government Code § 12965: Governs the right to sue under FEHA. A complainant must file a civil action within one year of receiving a Right to Sue notice from the California Civil Rights Department.
- California Government Code § 12960: Extended deadline to file a harassment or discrimination complaint with the California Civil Rights Department from one year to three years from the date of the last unlawful act.
California’s statute of limitations for civil sexual harassment claims is three years from the date of the harassing conduct. California follows a comparative fault framework under its negligence laws, meaning liability can be allocated among multiple parties. The state allows recovery of both economic and non-economic damages in civil harassment matters.
Reach Out to The Bloom Firm to Schedule a Consultation
If you need of legal help after a high profile sexual harassment offense, contact us. At The Bloom Firm, we handle these types of cases on contingency, which means there are fees unless we win. We know you may be searching for a sense of justice in what was committed against you. Please reach out now so we can begin offering support and give you advice on what to do next.