A Surrey family lawyer, best known for his media appearances and cheeky hockey-themed ads, has agreed to stop practising law after admitting to more than 20 years of sexual harassment at work.
Stuart Zukerman has agreed to resign his membership with the B.C. Law Society as of Nov. 30, and not to apply for reinstatement anywhere in Canada for five years, according to a consent agreement published online Tuesday.
His ads, some of which feature hockey great Dave Babych, often ran during Vancouver Canucks games with the tagline “call Zukerman before your spouse does.” He is also a frequent commenter on news segments about family law.
The agreement detailed how an investigation into professional misconduct was launched after a lawyer who had left Zukerman Law Group made a formal complaint.
The investigation found that Zukerman had “created, promoted or encouraged a highly sexualized, intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment at the firm” for more than two decades.
“Staff described that comments of a sexual nature were common and included jokes, sexual innuendo, bragging or detailing of sexual encounters, and commenting on staff or potential staff’s appearances,” while some staff also felt that those who “went along with the sexual banter” were “more likely to receive promotions or higher bonuses.”
In one incident, Zukerman made sexual comments toward a female staffer and touched her buttocks without consent. In 2014, he wrote a letter expressing his sexual and romantic feelings for her and asked whether “she would consider leaving her family to engage in a formal relationship with him.”
Despite being rejected, Zukerman sent a second letter reiterating his query and continued to make inappropriate jokes for the rest of his time working with her.
The investigation found that Zukerman had also sexually harassed another woman at the firm, making inappropriate comments and expressing attraction to the woman “in explicit terms.”
He used an employee’s work computer without permission to download a photograph of the woman, telling her he did it because “he thought she looked attractive.” In October 2022, the lawyer also told the woman he had taken a photo of her cleavage. He apologized when the woman said she was uncomfortable.
Things came to a head in May 2023 when Zukerman tried to film the same woman underneath her dress. The woman caught Zukerman in the act and demanded he delete the video. She became distraught, left the office that afternoon and never returned. Three other female staffers followed suit and quit.
It’s not the first time Zukerman has been in hot water with the law society.
In 2017, Zukerman underwent a conduct review for disparaging comments he made about a client’s wife. The investigation also found that a number of informal complaints had been raised with Zukerman over the years but he never changed his behaviour.
According to the law society, Zukerman co-operated with the investigation and revealed he was dealing with physical and mental health issues that contributed to the May 2023 incident. He is now seeking help for his health issues.
Zukerman has also agreed he wouldn’t be alone with any woman while finishing out his time at the firm.