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Jury awards $6.2M to ex-law firm employee who was paid less than male colleagues
A New York jury has awarded $6.2 million to an attorney who sued her law firm for allegedly firing her after she complained that she was paid less than male attorneys who ranked lower than her. (Image from Shutterstock)
A New York jury has awarded $6.2 million to an attorney who sued her law firm for allegedly firing her after she complained that she was paid less than male attorneys who ranked lower than her.
Denise A. Rubin, a former general counsel at Napoli Bern Ripka Shkolnik, received $5.8 million in punitive damages and $350,000 in compensatory damages after a decade of litigation, Law.com reports.
The jury in Rubin’s case found that she had good faith to file her discrimination claim, in which she said she was paid less than male colleagues with less experience, even though she handled managerial duties for the firm, according to Law.com. She alleged that firm founding partner Paul Napoli failed to promote her to partner despite his promise to do so.
Jurors also found that Rubin was the target of retaliation by Napoli, who she said personally and professionally denigrated her to colleagues and filed “meritless, lewd and professionally damaging” counterclaims against her, Law.com reports.
“The jury’s verdict recognized the extent and severity of Napoli’s unlawful retaliation as well as the effect on Ms. Rubin,” said Jason Solotaroff of Giskan Solotaroff & Anderson in an email to Law.com. “This verdict sends a message that employers will not be permitted to punish and intimidate discrimination plaintiffs from seeking justice by dragging them through the mud.”
Jack Baughman of Baughman Kroup Bosse, who represents Napoli, said in a statement also published by Law.com “Mr. Napoli believes the verdict is legally baseless and factually unsupported.” He also noted that the court had dismissed the discrimination claims against the defendants.
“The retaliation finding—tied to a dismissed claim and based on incomplete facts—will not withstand appeal,” Baughman said.
Baughman also contended that Rubin was found liable for breaching her professional duties.
The jury ordered her to pay the defendants $15,000 for disseminating confidential firm documents, which she allegedly posted to defend herself from the firm’s accusations after she was dismissed, Law.com reports.
Napoli Bern’s principals, Napoli and Marc Bern, split up and formed separate firms in 2015, according to Law.com. The firms named as defendants in Rubin’s lawsuit are largely defunct.
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