Sanford Heisler Sharp Files Gender Discrimination And Retaliation Action Against Jones Day

SAN FRANCISCO, June 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP put another "Big Law" firm on notice today that gender discrimination and retaliation are illegal.  This morning the Firm filed a Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) representative action lawsuit against Jones Day on behalf of partner Wendy Moore and other California female attorneys at Jones Day. The action was filed in California Superior Court for San Francisco County.

In the Complaint, Ms. Moore alleges that Jones Day operates as a fraternity, in which men mentor and advantage other men, ultimately resulting in men being paid more. Moore further claims that Jones Day's "black-box" compensation system and subjective performance reviews are designed to hide pervasive pay discrimination against women. Moore increasingly voiced concerns about the Firm's systemic gender discrimination at the beginning of 2018. In retaliation, the Firm slashed her hours, forbade her from working with a powerful male partner, and, in response to her decision to hire counsel, terminated her employment. Moore has filed her Complaint under California's PAGA, which authorizes employees to sue and recover civil penalties on behalf of themselves, and other employees and further imposes strict penalties for retaliation.

Moore and the class are represented by a Sanford Heisler Sharp team led by David Sanford, firm founder and chairman; Russell L. Kornblith, managing partner of the Firm's New York office; Deborah Marcuse, managing partner of the Firm's Baltimore office; and Danielle Fuschetti of the Firm's San Francisco office.

Ms. Moore was a partner at Jones Day for more than four years. She joined the firm in California in 2013, with more than 14 years of experience at other elite law firms. In 2015, she was promoted to Jones Day's Hiring Partner for Silicon Valley—a role in which she recruited an associate class that Jones Day's leaders in Northern California hailed as one of its best.  

According to the Complaint, Ms. Moore resigned her position as hiring partner because she felt she could not be transparent with female recruits about their compensation, prospects for advancement, and the firm's culture. The complaint further alleges that "female law students were unambiguously stating in their interviews with Jones Day that the Firm's express support for Mr. Trump and its black-box compensation model left female attorneys behind."  (Complaint paragraph 38) Ms. Moore then informed the Firm that "women did not want to risk the adverse impact on their careers by joining a Firm that proudly supported Mr. Trump and black-box compensation." (Complaint paragraph 38) The Complaint alleges that, in response to Ms. Moore's concerns as hiring partner, "the Firmwide Chair of Recruiting and a member of the Firm's Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, Sharyl Reisman, directed Ms. Moore to tone down her criticism, lest she provoke a negative response from Firm management." (Complaint paragraph 38)

The Complaint alleges that Ms. Moore sent an email in December 2017 to firm leadership about "gender pay disparities; the male leadership's unfair lack of support for and marginalization of female attorneys, including Ms. Moore; the unfair scrutiny to which female attorneys were subjected (particularly those with caretaker responsibilities); the Firm's sexist culture; and the ways in which Jones Day's male leadership creates barriers to advancement for female attorneys." (Complaint paragraph 48)

The Complaint further alleges that on Feb 22, 2018, Ms. Moore again exercised her statutory right by raising concerns of gender discrimination (Complaint paragraph 55). Six days later, on February 28, Ms. Moore was terminated.

After Ms. Moore's termination, the Complaint alleges that Jones Day clawed back money from Ms. Moore's personal bank account that it had paid to her for work that she had already performed.

"Jones Day's message in terminating Wendy could not be clearer," said David Sanford, "Ms. Moore was punished soon after she summoned the courage to speak out against gender discrimination and demand the same pay that her male peers received."

"Ms. Moore's Complaint paints Jones Day as a firm in which female attorneys receive neither the compensation nor the professional and business development opportunities of their male peers," said Deborah Marcuse.

Sanford Heisler Sharp is no stranger to taking on gender discrimination and equal pay in "Big Law." The firm has pursued and resolved class action cases against several law firms ranked in the AmLaw 100 and is currently litigating class action cases against Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) and Ogletree Deakins & Nash.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Jamie Moss, 201 788 0142; [email protected]

About Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP

Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP is a public interest class-action litigation law firm with offices in New York; Washington, D.C; San Francisco; Nashville; San Diego; and Baltimore.  Our attorneys have graduated from the nation's top law schools, clerked for judges throughout the United States, and amassed extensive experience litigating and trying cases that have earned over one billion dollars for our clients.

The Firm has significant experience in civil rights and general public interest cases, representing plaintiffs with claims of employment discrimination, sexual violence, labor and wage violations, consumer fraud, False Claims Act, elder abuse and whistleblowing, among other claims. Along with a focus on class actions, the Firm also represents individuals and has achieved extraordinary success in the representation of executives and attorneys in employment disputes.

For more information go to www.sanfordheisler.com  or call (202) 499-5200 or email [email protected]. For the latest news, visit our newsroom or follow us on Twitter at @sanfordheisler.

SOURCE Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP