In the years since the #MeToo movement took root, companies have increasingly turned to “outside” firms — typically prominent law firms — to “investigate” toxic behavior in the workplace. At first glance, this seems like a reasonable approach, enlisting “independent” investigators, with no direct connection to the company, to assess whether any misconduct has taken place.

In reality, these investigations are rarely independent. More often, they are a tactic utilized by corporations to create the illusion of corporate leadership being detached from the process. They enable companies to further cover up toxic behavior by claiming that outside investigators have absolved them of responsibility for workplace toxicity. Yet, few question whether these allegedly independent law firms, often working closely with HR departments and the company’s in house legal teams are so hopelessly conflicted that they can’t fairly assess wrongdoing without considering the impact on their own ongoing business relationships.

Consider the recent and glaring example of

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