The president's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Romania—a current New Jersey resident once hired by Lowenstein Sandler to help build up the firm's then-fledgling New York office—could face scrutiny over claims that he sexually harassed a legal secretary while he was a partner at a large firm.

Adrian Zuckerman, a Seyfarth Shaw partner nominated by President Donald Trump in July, was sued in 2008, alongside his former firm, Lowenstein Sandler, by Jamie Ferrauiola in Manhattan federal court. Among other allegations, Ferrauiola claimed Zuckerman showed her pictures of semi-nude women, used sexual gestures and language in reference to women in the office and spoke to her about his sex life in graphic detail.

The case, which has not been previously reported, was settled within a year, according to Southern District of New York court records. Lowenstein and Zuckerman's answer to the complaint denied all allegations.