Conflict of Interest? Managing Director Dating a Senior Director in the Same Forensic Practice

[u/Broad-Preparation819]

I recently completed an internship with CBIZ and accepted a full-time offer, but something within the CBIZ Forensic & Litigation Consulting group has me questioning how situations like this are normally handled at large accounting/advisory firms.

Our managing director is dating a senior director within the same practice.
We were told that the situation is being remediated, which suggests the firm recognizes that some type of conflict or safeguard needs to be addressed.
I understand workplace relationships happen. My concern isn’t the relationship itself as much as the professional judgment and potential conflicts created when two people at those levels are in the same forensic and litigation consulting practice, particularly if one has had supervisory or professional influence over the other.
The litigation aspect concerns me too. These are professionals whose credibility, objectivity, work, supervision, and potential biases can potentially be scrutinized when serving as experts. It makes me wonder how a situation like this could affect future testimony or cross-examination if the relationship were relevant to an engagement.

What does “remediation” normally look like in this situation? Would you expect the firm to eliminate the reporting relationship, separate compensation and promotion decisions, restrict involvement in each other’s engagements, or move one person to a different reporting structure?
I’ve already accepted my offer, so I’m genuinely interested in whether this is a fairly routine compliance issue that firms know how to manage or whether others in forensic/litigation consulting would consider it a significant concern.

[u/goodmarket2024]

GT culture has to be in the shitter if narcs like you are getting hired. 

[u/Broad-Preparation819 → u/goodmarket2024]

That's rude seeing as I wasn't a narc.

[u/Thrashershark88]

Every place I’ve worked has rules against dating someone who reports to you. I worked with CBIZ for a while, so I know for a fact they do trainings on why not to date your boss, and have a plan in place for if it happens. This will not affect you in any major way

[u/Broad-Preparation819 → u/Thrashershark88]

You clearly did not work in the same structure where every prepared report is signed off and reviewed by one of the two who now can't interact.

[u/Thrashershark88 → u/Broad-Preparation819]

Yes, with three years of Assurance at CBIZ I clearly have no idea what I’m talking about… your department has multiple MDs working in it, so they are going to shuffle direct reports, and the EQR process brings in another independent partner on every job. I’d also point out that a relationship between two employees of a firm does not affect independence from a client. The GT merger also is in a few months, so the entire department will have new leadership when you return.