McDermott Faces Discrimination Lawsuit from Black Associate Over Promotion Denial
A 38-year-old Black female associate, referred to as Jane Doe, has filed a lawsuit against the law firm McDermott Will & Schulte, alleging racial discrimination after being repeatedly passed over for a partner promotion. The complaint, filed in the Superior Court in Los Angeles, claims that despite her 14 years of experience, Doe remains the only senior associate with her qualifications who has not been promoted to partner. The lawsuit accuses labor and employment partner Maria Rodriguez of retaliating against Doe for expressing concerns about her promotion prospects. Allegedly, Rodriguez removed Doe from important matters and restricted her from accepting assignments from other partners, which impacted her ability to meet billable hour requirements for bonuses. The complaint also details Doe's experiences of harassment and retaliation, including being falsely accused of poor performance as a pretext for not promoting her. Doe, who worked in McDermott's labor and employment group since February 2021, was u... 
