Ellen Pao May Owe Former Employer Accused of Sexism $1 Million in Legal Fees

Having lost a gender discrimination case against her
employer, Ellen Pao may be on the hook for their legal
costs.
Image:  Shutterstock

Kleiner Perkins, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm with investments in Snapchat, Spotify, Uber, Twitter, and Google, filed legal documents this past Wednesday seeking nearly $1 million in legal fees from its former partner, Ellen Pao.  Pao, fired from the company is 2012, engaged in a lengthy legal battle in which she accused her former employer of gender discrimination and retaliation.  Since Pao lost the case, Kleiner Perkins is requiring her to pay them $972,814.50…unless she promises not to appeal the court’s decision.

“We believe that women in technology would be best served by having all parties focus on making progress on the issues of gender diversity outside of continued litigation,” said Kleiner Perkins spokeswoman Christina Lee.

Kleiner also revealed that they offered Pao a settlement of $1 million before the trial began but never heard from her or her legal team.

Pao’s spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that they are considering the proposal to waive legal fees and will respond later.

Pao, who is now the interim chief executive at Reddit, brought the case to the San Francisco Superior Court, where she sought $16 million from the firm.   Pao claimed that the company discriminated against her because of her gender and fired her in May 2012 after she complained and began the lawsuit.  A jury of six men and six women voted against her, and she was awarded nothing.

The trial garnered a lot of attention in the Silicon Valley, with 200 spectators attending Pao’s cross-examination during the trial.

The costs Pao could be on the hook for include $864,680.25 for expert witnesses and $58,878.69 for deposition costs.  They do not include the costs of the attorneys.