Female partner who sued Proskauer regarding compensation joins Polsinelli
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Connie Bertram, the Proskauer Rose partner who agreed to dismiss her gender discrimination lawsuit against the firm last month, is now a shareholder with Polsinelli
Law.com and Above the Law have reports.
An action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleged that Bertram was paid millions of dollars less than male partners who were as productive or less productive than she was. When she complained, the suit said, she was excluded from client development activities and barred from partner meetings. The suit also said Bertram was “overtly objectified based on her sex” when male partners commented on her body, clothing and “sexiness.” The action sought $50 million in damages.
In a statement, Proskauer responded that Bertram’s accusations were “a misrepresentation” of the firm’s compensation system, and she was one of the top five earners in her department of 49 partners.
When the parties filed the joint motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Bertram was still listed as a partner in the firm’s directory. She had headed its Washington, D.C., labor and employment practice and its government contractor compliance group, and served as co-head of the firm’s whistleblowing and retaliation group.
Bertram did not immediately respond to an ABA Journal interview request. In a statement Polsinelli posted to its website on Monday, Bertram said that it had a “great collaborative culture.”
“I have known, and respected, Connie for years as we have practiced in the same space and even for some of the same clients,” Nancy Rafuse, chair of Polsinelli’s labor and employment department, said in the statement. “Connie has a sophisticated practice, a great client base, is a talented lawyer and is a nationally ranked and recognized lawyer. We are excited to add her and her unique practice to our firm.”
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Anonymous partner sues Proskauer for alleged gender bias”
