In the Loop: Reporter who worked on Russell McVeagh expose discusses 'watershed' moment

Sasha Borissenko was part of the team that broke the Russell McVeagh story in 2017. Photo / 123RF

"It was a watershed moment in time because [Harvey] Weinstein had really happened earlier in 2017."

Throughout her early career, journalist Sasha Borissenko has reported on sexual assaults and the feminist movement but she said nothing had made any waves.

Back in 2018, an article by Borissenko and a team of journalists revealed ​​a pattern of sexually inappropriate behaviour towards the female students at Russell McVeagh law firm in Wellington.

Now, as the man behind the misconduct faces disciplinary action, Borissenko has spoken to the Herald's In the Loop podcast about her experiences working on the story.

Borissenko said one of the main reasons she decided to tackle this story so early in her career was because of a similar traumatic experience.

"Having an interest in journalism and law just seemed quite a good fit combining with the fact that I had this lived experience, so it really became a passion project.

With the article being published more than two years after the alleged events, Borissenko believes people were waiting for an exposé.

Speaking about her own mental health during the time of reporting this story, she admitted it took a personal toll.

Borissenko said she became consumed with the accusations, creating timelines to understand the accusations.

"Because of my lived experience, she [Borissenko's mother] said do you really think you should be doing this because it would be incredibly traumatic' and I think it definitely was."

While she did not want to put herself in the centre of the unfolding story, Borissenko said her reporting came from a place where she had "skin the game".

Since Borissenko's article, Russell McVeagh has completed its own independent inquiry.

Earlier this year, a former Russell McVeagh partner, James Gardner-Hopkins was found guilty of six misconduct charges, including touching summer interns inappropriately.

The New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal found James Gardner-Hopkins' conduct in all the charges relating to six separate incidents met the test of being regarded as "disgraceful or dishonourable".

Most of the charges were related to inappropriate sexual conduct at two Christmas functions in 2015 when the lawyer was based in Wellington.

Yesterday, the disciplinary tribunal reserved its decision on what penalty Gardner-Hopkins would face.

During the earlier hearing, multiple former summer clerks testified that Gardner-Hopkins had touched them inappropriately, with one woman describing that she felt like a "piece of meat".

Another woman said she felt "extremely" distressed and "cried all weekend" after he had touched her without consent and allegedly touched her friend's breast in front of her.

When she discovered other women claimed they too had experienced misconduct she said it was "terrifying" because it made it feel like "it's inescapable".

One victim claimed it felt like he touched her breast "forever".

In the Loop is a New Zealand Herald podcast.

In the Loop is available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes come out every Friday morning.

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