A long-time family law practitioner and mediator in British Columbia has agreed to resign from the legal profession after admitting to multiple instances of sexual harassment spanning over two decades.
S.Z., a member of the Law Society since 1989, committed professional misconduct that involved inappropriate behaviour towards employees at his Surrey-based law firm, Zukerman Law Group, according to the Law Society of British Columbia.
His resignation comes after a consent agreement was reached between him and the Law Society’s Discipline Committee, where he admitted to sexually harassing two employees — referred to as AA and BB — over a prolonged period. His misconduct included making sexualized comments, engaging in unwelcome romantic advances, and attempting to take surreptitious photographs and videos of one employee.
The ruling outlines that S.Z.’s inappropriate behaviour occurred between October 2000 and May 2023, creating what the investigation described as a “highly sexualized, intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.” The sexual harassment primarily targeted two employees, but the Law Society investigation found that the overall workplace culture was tainted by pervasive sexual comments, innuendo, and actions that affected multiple staff members.
‘Touching without consent’ and ‘surreptitious recordings’
Among the most serious allegations were S.Z.’s actions towards the two employees, whose harassment spanned from unwanted touching to covert attempts at capturing their images.
He admitted to touching AA’s buttocks without her consent while she was painting the office, and in 2014, he wrote her a letter expressing his romantic feelings, asking her to leave her family to pursue a relationship with him. Despite AA’s clear rejection of his advances, S.Z. continued to make inappropriate jokes and comments for the duration of their working relationship.
The harassment of BB, which escalated between 2018 and 2023, included S.Z. attempting to take surreptitious photographs of her cleavage and, in May 2023, trying to record a video beneath her dress without her knowledge. BB became aware of the attempt, confronted S.Z., and asked him to delete the video, which he complied with. The incident caused significant distress to BB, who left the office immediately and did not return.
The May 2023 incident involving BB led to the resignation of three female employees, marking the culmination of his years-long pattern of misconduct.
Consent agreement and resignation
As part of the consent agreement, S.Z. has undertaken not to practice law in British Columbia for five years starting from Nov. 30, 2024. He also agreed not to apply for reinstatement to the Law Society or any other governing body of legal professionals in Canada during that period. Furthermore, he is prohibited from working in any capacity for a law firm in British Columbia without the written consent of the Law Society’s Executive Director.
The agreement concludes that S.Z.’s actions violated multiple rules under the Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia, including the provisions related to sexual harassment and maintaining a respectful workplace. His conduct was deemed to have created an “intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment” for his employees.
While the Law Society recognized his co-operation during the investigation and his efforts to address physical and mental health issues that he cited as contributing factors, it also emphasized several aggravating factors. S.Z.’s misconduct continued over 20 years, despite numerous complaints, and occurred in the context of a workplace where he held significant power over his employees. The impact on the victims was substantial, with some employees feeling forced to resign due to the hostile environment.
Interim measures and the final ruling
In September 2023, while the investigation was still ongoing, S.Z. gave an undertaking to the Law Society that he would not be alone in the presence of any female employees in relation to his legal practice. This measure remained in effect until his resignation.
S.Z.’s professional conduct record also factored into the Law Society’s decision. In 2017, he had undergone a Conduct Review for making disparaging online comments about a client’s ex-wife, demonstrating a prior breach of professional standards.
The Law Society noted that his resignation and the terms of the consent agreement would be reflected in his professional conduct record. No further action will be taken in relation to the complaints that led to the agreement, as per the provisions of the Law Society’s rules governing consent agreements.
For more information, see https://www.lawsociety.bc.ca/news-and-publications/news/surrey-lawyer-stuart-zukerman-resigns-after-admitting-professional-misconduct/
