Judge OKs punitives in high-profile discrimination case; jury could award Ellen Pao as much as $160M
As closing arguments loom in a high-profile Silicon Valley employment discrimination case brought by a former BigLaw associate, a judge’s ruling has increased the pressure on the defendant.
Ellen Pao, who testified that she had wanted $10 million to settle with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers before trial and is asking for $16 million at trial can also seek punitive damages from the storied venture capital firm, the judge ruled on Saturday. That puts another $144 million on the table, for a potential award of as much as $160 million, if a San Francisco jury sides with Pao, reports USA Today.
“There is sufficient evidence from which a reasonable juror could conclude that Kleiner Perkins engaged in intentional gender discrimination, that Kleiner Perkins acted with malice, fraud or oppression,” wrote Judge Harold Kahn.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Silicon Valley agog as trial looms in high-profile sex-discrimination case against Kleiner Perkins”
