NYC Lawyer Charged With Groping 2 Female Attorneys at Office

Criminal Justice

NYC Lawyer Charged With Groping 2 Female Attorneys at Office

Posted May 23, 2008, 10:07 am CST
By Martha Neil

Updated: A former name partner in a New York plaintiffs firm has been criminally charged for allegedly groping two female attorneys while working at his own small-firm law office.

Richard Dienst, 67, is charged with forcible touching, third-degree sex abuse and harassment after incidents concerning two female lawyers in March 2008 and June 2007 in what was then his law office on the 18th floor of the Woolworth Building, according to Newsday and a partner in charge of the law firm that subleased the office space to him.

According to the Associated Press, a prosecutor says a plea deal is being negotiated in the misdemeanor case. Matt Freimuth, who represents Dienst, declined to comment.

Dienst was formerly a senior name partner and counsel with Queller Fisher Dienst Serrins Washor & Kool, but has not been a lawyer for the firm since 2003, Barry Washor, its senior managing partner, told ABAJournal.com. Queller Fisher subleased office space to Dienst after he formed his own firm, as it does to other law firms, too, but that arrangement with Dienst ended "after the investigation came to light" and it was mutually agreed that it would be best for Dienst to move his law office elsewhere, Washor says.

Washor says he is aware of only one female attorney who has complained about Dienst, and she, too, works for another law firm that subleases space from Queller Fisher.

"I know nothing about the details of it; I know that there was an allegation made, and I know that there was an investigation" by the Manhattan district attorney's office, he says. The allegation concerns conduct on Good Friday this year, when his firm's offices were closed, he adds.

The AP article says a complaint alleges that, in a March 21, 2008 incident, Dienst "place[d] his hand on [the woman's] breasts and stated to [her] in substance, 'I just want to see how great your [breasts] look. I just want to feel how great your [breasts] feel.' Then he allegedly lifted her shirt and tried "to place his mouth on [the woman's] breast," the complaint continues. It says Dienst then put his hand down the back of her pants, put her hand down the front of his pants and said to her, "in substance, 'Look what you did to an old man. You made an old man's weekend.' "

Dienst is known for his work in police cases, and has taught at Cardozo Law School, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., according to AP.

Updated at 4:40 p.m. to include Associated Press coverage.

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Posted by msg - 5 months, 3 weeks, 6 days, 8 hours, 57 minutes ago

This is one firm that could benefit by marketing themselves with a shorter name!
Posted by srs - 5 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 11 hours, 16 minutes ago

I love that this article appears below one accusing women of creating their own glass ceiling to partnership and political office, via an “ambition” or “cockiness” gap. Right.
Posted by Ellen Barshevsky - 5 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 10 hours, 38 minutes ago

I say throw the book at this geezer! He is victimizing ALL women when he does this on the job. Who does this jerk think he is? Groping then sucking at the breasts of a young female associate? THat is not part of any job description I have seen. I think this is very unfair, both to the women who must work at the firm as well as women everywhere. You don’t see this geezer sticking his hands down the pants of the MEN at the firm, but evidently breasts and a woman’s rear end are fair game? WE’re NOT chickens, we are WOMEN and we REQUIRE respect. I think the WOMEN must band together and protest MEN who do these things. The women do not have to put up with this to get ahead in the law firm. I know that I got no special favors when I was at a firm, but would NEVER let the partner put his hands on me, especially on my personal areas. I say FOO on you, you old geezer!
Posted by Diamond Jim - 5 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 8 hours, 52 minutes ago

We address this issue by having an annual wet T-Shirt contest for young female associates. The old geezers then do not have to engage in any actual groping.
Posted by Bill - 5 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 8 hours, 31 minutes ago

I actually have seen that in job descriptions, Ellen. It’s a tough market right now.
Posted by Robert Officer - 5 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 6 hours, 7 minutes ago

Speaking of gender based stereotyping, why does Ellen think that the alleged victim was a “young” female “associate.“ I don’t see either of these characterisations in the article.
Posted by funnyman - 5 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 5 hours, 52 minutes ago

Diamond Jim made me laugh out loud.
Posted by Elmore Leonard - 5 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 4 hours ago

#6, come on (Robert Officer)—what other type of female would an old geezer risk his career over. Do you seriously think he’d be fondling a 55 year old female partner at the firm, saying the things he said and doing the things he did? The women had to be young, and presumably only an associate would have to put up with this type of obnoxious behaviour.
Posted by john - 5 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 2 hours, 46 minutes ago

Ellen, why do you presume that the attorneys were in Dienst’s firm. From the only description, one was in another firm subleasing space and we have no information on the second. However, from the description, there were at least three firms occupying the Queller Fisher lease space. This may well have been simply offensive, but non-employment related behavior. Further, sounds like Queller Fisher took action and effectively evicted Dienst from his sublease.
Posted by Kristy - 5 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 2 hours, 17 minutes ago

John, the story was updated sometime today. Prior to the update the info you refer to was not part of the article.
Posted by Bob Groper - 5 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 9 hours, 36 minutes ago

I don’t know - I’ve seen some pretty hot-looking women in their 50’s. You’re being ageist by saying nobody would want to fondle a 55-year-old woman.

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