Law firm DLA Piper must face lawsuit over pregnancy bias, judge rules

By David Thomas

Sept 29 (Reuters) - International firm DLA Piper must face part of a lawsuit brought by one of its former U.S. lawyers who claimed she was fired for seeking maternity leave, a judge in Manhattan ruled Monday.

U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres said that Anisha Mehta, a former senior associate in the firm's intellectual property group in San Francisco and New York, "presented evidence that could reasonably cast doubt on DLA’s purported reason for firing her."

"Pregnancy should never be the basis for termination," Jeanne Christensen, a partner at law firm Wigdor who represents Mehta, said in a statement. "We look forward to proceeding with this case to secure Ms. Mehta the justice she deserves.”

Michele Maryott, a Gibson Dunn partner representing DLA Piper, said in an email: "We look forward to presenting our case in court."

Mehta sued the law firm in June 2023, alleging she was fired from her position as a senior associate when she was six months pregnant, less than a week after she asked for leave.

DLA Piper has argued that Mehta's firing was justified, saying she was unable to perform at the level expected of a seventh-year associate.

Torres on Monday said the firm "presented evidence of a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for firing Mehta" due to her performance.

But the judge also said DLA Piper's performance-based rationale for firing Mehta is "at best, in tension with other evidence in the record or, at worst, plainly contradicted by it," citing raises and bonuses she earned during her time at the firm, as well as Mehta's work with an important client.

Torres denied DLA Piper's request to dismiss Mehta's discrimination claims under New York city and state and federal law, as well as her claims of interference and retaliation under the Family Medical Leave Act. Torres agreed to dismiss some of Mehta's other retaliation claims against the firm.