Mr. Haynes could not immediately be reached for comment on Saturday.

In the suit, which was filed last month in Federal District Court in Manhattan, Lauren Bonner, an associate director at the firm, said that Mr. Haynes had belittled women employees — calling one a “dumb blonde” — and had a whiteboard in his office on which the word “pussy” was written in large letters and left there for several weeks last year.

Point72, which is based in Stamford, Conn., said in a statement after the suit was filed that it “emphatically denies these allegations.” In court, lawyers for Mr. Cohen and Point72 have sought to move the matter to arbitration. Early on Saturday, Ellen Davis, a Point72 spokeswoman, said, “The firm’s view remains that the lawsuit is without merit.”

Ms. Davis said in a separate, subsequent statement, “Steve Cohen wants to make sure that his firm is living up to its stated values and fostering a respectful workplace.” As part of that effort, she said, Mr. Cohen had retained the prominent law firm WilmerHale “to conduct an independent assessment and provide legal advice that will help to improve the firm’s policies and procedures, strengthen its culture and foster best practices.”

Image Douglas D. Haynes resigned as Point72’s president on Friday. Credit... Point72

Leading the review, the people familiar with the matter said, is Jamie Gorelick, a Wilmer partner who is a former deputy United States attorney general. Several women at Point72 had been interviewed by lawyers as part of the review, the people said.