Afternoon Briefs: Ex-Jones Day lawyers drop class action claims; 'Grim Reaper' lawyer fights sanctions bid
Ex-Jones Day associates drop class action claims in bias lawsuit
Former female associates suing Jones Day for alleged bias have agreed to drop their class action claims of systemic pay discrimination and disparate impact. The six plaintiffs decided to drop class action claims after they reviewed nationwide compensation and evaluation data from the law firm. Plaintiffs are still pursuing individual claims that remain. (Law.com, Law360)
‘Grim Reaper’ lawyer in Florida fights sanctions bid
A Florida lawyer who dressed as the Grim Reaper to warn beach visitors about the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic is facing a bid for sanctions. The lawyer, Daniel Uhlfelder, filed an unsuccessful lawsuit to try to force beach closures and lost when he appealed. Lawyers for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Uhlfelder’s appeal amounted to “empty political posturing.” Uhlfelder pointed to the words of the trial judge, who said he thought the suit was filed in good faith. (ClickOrlando.com, the Washington Post, the Florida legal filing, Uhlfelder’s response)
Lawyer allegedly argued female judge was biased due to gender
A Florida lawyer is facing an ethics complaint for arguing that a female judge should be disqualified from a divorce case because she is a woman who would favor the wife. The lawyer, Raymond Mitchell of Cape Coral, Florida, also claimed that the judge “totally ignores the laws of Florida” and “ignores the evidence and facts in her cases,” according to the ethics complaint. (Law.com, the Dec. 8 complaint)
Seyfarth Shaw will restore money lost to pay cuts
Seyfarth Shaw plans to pay staff members and lawyers for the money that they lost as a result of temporary pay cuts. The firm has already restored pay to pre-pandemic levels. (Above the Law, Thomson Reuters Legal)
