A recently dismissed IT facilities professional at Shearman & Sterling sued the firm Thursday in federal court in Manhattan, alleging he was falsely accused of unethical conduct after Shearman singled him out "to be the first to go during the pandemic."

Mark Kanyuk, 62, claims he was fired from his position as global facilities and audio visual manager April 15 because of his age, after 25 years in which he "never received a negative review."

"To cover up their true intent and likely the fact that it was engaging in COVID-19 related layoffs, defendant informed plaintiff on the day of his termination that he was accused of unethical behavior, taking kickbacks from vendors," the complaint alleges, asserting that Kanyuk was never given specifics of the alleged unethical behavior and was offered just two weeks of severance pay.