“All told, Cohen’s Aug. 13 motion and exhibits detailing many aspects of 37-year-old Khawam’s life weighs in at some 120 pages.”
Faced with employment lawsuit, Tampa lawyer Barry Cohen goes into attack mode
By Caitlin Johnston, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Earlier this summer, a former employee sued prominent Tampa lawyer Barry Cohen. Now he’s fighting back with everything from a motion to dismiss the case to accusations of perjury and bankruptcy fraud.
In July, Natalie Khawam and her attorney Wil Florin sued Cohen, his law firm and other defendants on six counts, including sexual harassment and breach of contract claims. Cohen owed her money, she said, and he also failed to properly take action when she reported a sexual harassment issue involving a financial officer doing work for the law firm.
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Since her filing, Cohen has delved into Khawam’s past: He’s uncovered court documents from a bankruptcy. He also unearthed a searing, 19-page child custody order from a Washington, D.C., superior court judge calling her out in 2011 for a lengthy “history of abusing the litigation process” and a “willingness to say anything, even under oath, to advance her own personal interests.”
In court documents, Cohen also claims that Khawam “fraudulently omitted Rolex watches, sable mink furs and a diamond ring” from a list of her assets in an April bankruptcy.
On top of that, Cohen has filed a motion for dismissal and requested sanctions against Khawam for a bad-faith filing.
All told, Cohen’s Aug. 13 motion and exhibits detailing many aspects of 37-year-old Khawam’s life weighs in at some 120 pages.
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Former employee takes on prominent Tampa lawyer Barry Cohen
By Caitlin Johnston, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Wednesday, July 4, 2012
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Cohen said the firm dealt with the issue immediately, hiring a retired FBI investigator, Bob Cromwell, to look into the allegations. Cromwell said in an interview he spent about two weeks interviewing employees, including Khawam.
Shortly after the investigation was completed, Cohen told Goldberg in a Dec. 2, 2009, letter that he was prohibited from returning or having “any further contact with any female employees.”
Khawam submitted her resignation that same day.
According to the complaint, Cohen brought Khawam on as an employee in May 2009 under the terms that she bring a high-profile client with her. As a result, the firm would pay Khawam a 30 percent commission on the value of case she had.
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