Top story: Former McKinsey Partner sues the firm amidst opioid scandal

Even McKinsey seems to have scapegoats.

Former McKinsey partner Arnab Ghatak is expanding his lawsuit against the firm, claiming defamation and wrongful termination tied to its controversial opioid consulting work. This follows McKinsey’s $650 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations it aided healthcare fraud and obstructed justice while advising Purdue Pharma and other opioid makers.

Ghatak alleges McKinsey Managing Partner Bob Sternfels defamed him in a memo sent to staff and alumni, falsely accusing him of discussing document deletion. Ghatak and another partner, Martin Elling, were fired in 2021 for violating professional standards. While Elling admitted to deleting files and recently pled guilty to obstruction, Ghatak denies wrongdoing, citing the DOJ’s lack of action against him as vindication.

Ghatak claims McKinsey scapegoated him during its initial 2021 opioid settlement, which was part of over $1.6 billion in payments tied to the opioid crisis. The firm has apologized for its role, adopted stricter policies, and maintains Ghatak’s claims are baseless. A New York judge will soon decide whether the expanded lawsuit can proceed.

Read more here.

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