Law firm DLA Piper defeats ex-lawyer's pregnancy bias lawsuit at trial

ReutersApr 13, 2026 11:44 PM

By David Thomas

April 13 (Reuters) - A federal jury in Manhattan on Monday rejected claims by a former lawyer at DLA Piper that the law firm fired her in 2022 for seeking maternity leave.

The jury found DLA Piper not liable for claims of discrimination under New York City and state and federal law following a one week trial, a spokesperson for the firm said.

The verdict marked a defeat for former DLA Piper associate Anisha Mehta and her attorneys at New York-based employment law firm Wigdor LLP.

Mehta's attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"This verdict shows that the firm acted in accordance with the law and upheld its standard of excellence for lawyers in the firm," DLA Piper said in a statement.

Mehta alleged in her 2023 lawsuit that DLA Piper fired her less than a week after she requested maternity leave, when she was six months pregnant. She claimed the firm was generating less legal work and under pressure from clients over billing rates and sought to avoid paying her salary.

Mehta was a senior associate in the firm's intellectual property group ‌in San Francisco and New York when she asked for leave.

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

DLA Piper is one of the highest-grossing law firms in the United States with revenues that reached more than $4.2 billion in 2024, according to data published by The American Lawyer.

The case was a relatively rare example of a major law firm going to trial over discrimination claims, as most cases are settled or dismissed before reaching a jury. In 2024 another Manhattan federal jury sided with Davis Polk & Wardwell over racial discrimination claims brought by one of that firm's associates.

The case is Anisha Mehta v. DLA Piper LLP, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1:23-cv-04757.

For Anisha Mehta: Jeanne Christensen and Kassandra Vazquez of Wigdor

For DLA Piper: Molly Senger, Amalia Reiss, Joseph Ruckert of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and Brett Ingerman, Jessica Masella, Jonathan Kinney, Jacob Chefitz and Jamie Brensilber of DLA Piper

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice.

Recommended Articles

Today’s Market Recap: U.S. Stocks Gain on Iran Peace Oververtures; Oracle Jumps 12% Marking Best Day Since Sept; Software Sector Sees Across-the-Board Gains

TradingKey - On Monday Eastern Time, the three major U.S. stock indices closed higher, driven by expectations of easing tensions in the Middle East. The S&P 500 rose 1.02% to close at 6,886, recovering losses since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.23% to end at 23,18

Palantir vs. Anthropic: The Niche Battle Even Trump’s Endorsement Cannot Stop

TradingKey — On April 10, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a high-profile message on Truth Social that drew significant attention on Wall Street, directly naming and praising data analytics firm Palantir Technologies. He wrote: "Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has proven to have powerful combat capabilities and equipment. Just ask our enemies!!!" According to TheStreet, Trump’s rare inclusion of the stock ticker makes him the first president in U.S. history to publicly mention a specific stock by its ticker symbol.

Storage Chip Giant SanDisk Replaces TEAM to Join Nasdaq 100 Index, SanDisk Shares May Soar to $1,000

TradingKey — Last Friday, Nasdaq announced that memory chip giant SanDisk (SNDK) will join the Nasdaq 100 Index before the market opens on April 20, 2026, replacing Atlassian (TEAM).

Musk’s XChat Is Coming to App Store, Meta, Apple and Finance World Are Trembling

Elon Musk’s XChat, the Western equivalent of WeChat, is set to launch on the App Store, issuing a direct challenge to giants such as Meta, Apple, and PayPal.

Microsoft Launches Its Own AI Models and Ditches OpenAI Dependence - Is MSFT Stock a Buy at $370?

Microsoft at $370 is a 17%-revenue-growth, 47%-margin, $625-billion-backlog business trading at a multi-year low valuation, because the market is scared of macro noise. The AI model releases this week prove the moat is deepening, not narrowing.

Featured Tools