A former partner of McKinsey & Co has filed a lawsuit against the consulting giant, alleging defamation and claiming he was unfairly targeted to deflect attention from McKinsey’s work with Purdue Pharma and other opioid manufacturers.
Arnab Ghatak, dismissed in 2021, initiated the legal action in a New York state court shortly after reports surfaced about a criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into McKinsey’s involvement in the opioid crisis.
The lawsuit centers on allegations that McKinsey obstructed justice by firing two partners involved in deleting documents related to their work on opioids.
Ghatak, one of the terminated partners, asserts that McKinsey misrepresented the circumstances of their dismissals.
He accuses McKinsey’s global managing partner, Bob Sternfels, of providing false testimony to Congress regarding the reason for the terminations, alleging that the firm created a false narrative to divert attention from its extensive history of advising on non-abuse deterrent opioids.
Ghatak seeks unspecified damages from McKinsey and Sternfels, alleging that the firm’s actions have damaged his reputation and career prospects.
McKinsey has dismissed the lawsuit as baseless, reaffirming its decision to terminate Ghatak due to violations of professional standards. The U.S. Department of Justice has not commented on the matter.
This legal action adds another layer of scrutiny to McKinsey’s involvement in the opioid crisis, following the firm’s agreement to pay nearly $1 billion to resolve various lawsuits related to its role in the epidemic.
While McKinsey has ceased advising on opioid-related businesses and denied any wrongdoing in prior settlements, the lawsuit underscores ongoing concerns about the firm’s conduct in advising Purdue Pharma and other entities amid the opioid crisis.
