Los Angeles partner Mark E. Terman was quoted in the Daily Journal on the subject of prospective employee background checks.

The Daily Journal notes that former Yahoo chief executive Scott Thompson was let go in May after it emerged his credentials boasted a computer science degree that he hadn't earned. Yahoo shareholders demanded his removal.

A 2010 study by the Society for Human Resource Management showed that only 55 percent of companies engaged in some form of background check of senior executives.

Mark, a partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group, said, "[j]ust because it's wise from a risk management perspective and wise from a good employment practices perspective, not every company does background checks."

"It's sometimes surprising that senior management are not always subject to them. I think they should be," he added.