Phila. law firm hit with discrimination suit
Legal News Center
[##_1L|1190582725.jpg|width="120" height="93" alt=""|_##]Philadelphia law firm Cozen O'Connor has been sued by a former partner who alleges that she was not given the same leeway regarding political activities as male employees. Patricia Biswanger claims in her sex discrimination and retaliation suit that she was fired from her position as a non-equity partner in September 2005, less than a month after she filed a gender discrimination complaint with the firm's human resources department.
The suit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, charges that her political activities in Haverford, Pa., caused Cozen O'Connor to apply a double standard that prohibited her from using any firm resources such as phones and email for those activities. She said the firm placed no restrictions on male lawyers' political activities.
The suit says that instead of investigating the complaint, the firm instead tried to prove that she violated its policy about using firm resources for political purposes, a charge that she denies.
The suit was filed by attorneys Michael J. Salmanson, Scott B. Goldshaw and Katie R. Eyer of Philadelphia's Salmanson Goldshaw and names Cozen O'Connor, firm founders Stephen Cozen and Patrick O'Connor and partner Kevin Berry as defendants. Cozen O'Connor's lawyer, Abraham Reich of Fox Rothschild, said the firm has always provided the same opportunities regardless of gender and that the investigation into Biswanger's complaint was "fair and objective." He said the firm looks forward to refuting the charges in court.
Biswanger, an employment litigator, has worked at Rubin Fortunato & Harbison of Wayne, Pa., since December 2005.
Related listings
-
Court upholds Md. gay marriage ban
Legal News Center 09/20/2007[##_1L|1152861877.jpg|width="157" height="111" alt=""|_##]Maryland's highest court Tuesday rejected same-sex marriage and upheld the state's 34-year-old statute defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. In a case watched closely around ...
-
Measures To Curb Emissions Backed
Legal News Center 09/14/2007[##_1L|1353512727.jpg|width="120" height="93" alt=""|_##]In a crucial ruling on the global warming issue, a federal judge said Wednesday that regulations adopted by Connecticut and 12 other states to curb greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light ...
-
Court upholds tough Vermont auto emissions law
Legal News Center 09/13/2007[##_1L|1290249162.jpg|width="130" height="93" alt=""|_##]District Court in Vermont on Wednesday upheld a state law that calls for a 30 percent reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, emitted by cars and certain light trucks. In h...
Victorville CA DUI defense Attorneys
The outcome of a DUI defense will have a long-term effect on anyone’s life, making the decision to receive legal representation an easy one. The fact is, most people accused of a DUI are first offenders with no criminal background. Whether this is your first run in with the law or you have had previous convictions, you are in need of a DUI defense attorney.
The charges you are facing for a DUI range from fines, a 12-month suspension on your license and worst-case scenario, prison time. Your attorney will be able to analyze your situation to decide the best way to go about your case.
Our attorneys know the tricky ways to challenge all of the DUI tests and know how to claim improper collection of evidence. We will be able to negotiate on your behalf and free you from charges and help you keep your drivers license. The DUI process can last up to several months, we can make this process easier on you. .