Shegerian & Associates: Former Defense Attorney Sues Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP for Gender Discrimination, Wrongful Termination, and Defamation

SAN DIEGO, June 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A former female attorney of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP has filed a lawsuit claiming she is a victim of defamation, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation on the basis of her gender, marital status, disability, and after making complaints of discrimination.

The former attorney's lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages against Procopio in San Diego, California. The lawsuit also seeks declaratory judgment from the judge that Ms. Doe can proceed with her complaint in state court rather than private arbitration, which would otherwise preclude the public from developments in the case.

Arbitration agreements have come under fire over the past few years in the context of allegations that they have been used to silence women from proceeding in court with their claims of gender discrimination and harassment. In the midst of movements promoting equality and fairness, such as Me Too and Black Lives Matter, arbitration agreements continue to operate as a hot topic issue in the legal field. 

According to the complaint, which was filed in San Diego Superior Court, Procopio "created a culture whereby younger female attorneys were not promoted or advanced" and failed to investigate Ms. Doe's complaints of discrimination against her supervisor. Ms. Doe alleges she was discriminated against because of gender and marital status when her supervisor, an older female partner, favored a new, young male associate her supervisor hired. At the time of Ms. Doe's wedding, Ms. Doe's supervisor took work and trials away from Ms. Doe, delaying her advancement. The complaint lists other actions taken by Ms. Doe's supervisor that interfered with Ms. Doe's prospects of becoming a partner despite Ms. Doe having some of the best numbers in the firm, including the second highest associate collections. Not long after Ms. Doe complained that she was being discriminated against, Procopio fired her. The unexpected termination came just weeks after being informed by other partners that she would be made partner in 2020.

The Jane Doe lawsuit also alleges that she was defamed when false information that her supervisor placed in her final review was shared with individuals other than her supervisors, amongst other defamatory statements made by Procopio.

"My client was an outstanding, dedicated employee for eight years until she was fired after making gender discrimination complaints," said Carney Shegerian, an employee rights activist and founder of Los Angeles-based employee rights firm, Shegerian and Associates. "Procopio defends companies from these very same claims and has no excuse for sweeping a serious discrimination complaint under the rug. Procopio must be held fully responsible for trying to silence my client, and in the process, tarnishing her career by making false statements in a small legal community."

About Shegerian & Associates:

Shegerian & Associates has won clients over $300 million in employment-based disputes and maintains a 98% success rate. We have offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and New York. 

Media Contact Rosanna Vargas [email protected]

SOURCE Shegerian & Associates