SDNY COURTHOUSE, April 7
-- The DLA Piper law firm
is standing trial accused of fired a seventh year
associate once she told the firm she was pregnant. Anisha
Mehta sued in 2023, and on April 7 was on the witness
stand in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of
New York. Inner City Press was there, here are live tweets
and a question in the extra:
DLA Piper's lawyer:
Let's look at your job offer letter - it's for the firm's
San Francisco office, correct? Mehta: Yes. Judge: Is this
admitted into evidence? Plaintiff's lawyer: In a different
version
DLA Piper's lawyer: It
says you will be paid $330,000 annually, as well a bonus -
as a sixth year associate?
Mehta: Yes
DLA Piper's lawyer: And
you got $105,000 as a year end bonus?
Mehta: Yes
DLA Piper's lawyer: And the $54,600
signing bonus? Yes [Jurors staring at this]
DLA Piper's
lawyer: So it's almost $500,000 Plaintiff's lawyer:
Objection. The bonus was not- DLA Piper's lawyer: There
aren't supposed to be speaking objections Judge: You mean
she could be paid $500,000? Yes? Overruled. Mehta: Yes
DLA Piper's lawyer: It
was you are expected to work 2000 hours a year, including
up to 100 hours of pro bono work [what does DLA Piper pro
bono work on?]
Mehta: I never moved to
California. DLA Piper's lawyer: So you never did take the
California bar? Mehta: I did, because I'm in-house at
Ebay. But being in-house, it's a different bar exam. DLA
Piper's lawyer: It says here you were an "at-will"
employee
DLA Piper's lawyer: You
were expected to do 100 hour of pro bono? Mehta: That
would count toward bonus. [On screen, it says up to 400
hours of pro bono work - again, on what? The Free UN
Coalition for Access asked the firm's listed head of pro
bono Elizabeth Dewey - see extra below.
Now on screen a
Plaintiff's Exhibit with notes about mentor DLA Piper's
lawyer: Let me show you your deposition [It goes on up
screen] Judge: You're not showing the jury, are you? [They
are] DLA Piper's lawyer: Sorry, Your Honor [Screen goes
dark] Sidebar
Extra on X for
Subscribers here
and on Substack here
