Quinn Emanuel Hit With Racial Discrimination Lawsuit
The allegations are shocking, but the firm states that they are "utterly without merit."
The Biglaw firm of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has been served with a racial discrimination lawsuit that levels some shocking allegations against the litigation powerhouse. From the opening paragraph of the complaint, it is clear that this former Quinn Emanuel secretary, Spencer Marin, isn’t pulling any punches (use of racial epithets have been modified from the original):
The website of Quinn, Emanuel, Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP boasts that “there is no firm like ours.” That certainly appears to be the case with respect to its total apathy to the plight of its African-American support staff. While assisting Quinn’s attorneys during the notorious Apple v. Samsung trials, these staff members endured horrific racial discrimination, including blatant use of the word “n***er,” at the hands of Quinn’s Trial Logistics Director, Yllen Cruz. When one such individual (Plaintiff) had the good sense to stand up for himself and his co-workers and bring this to Quinn’s attention, Quinn retaliated against him harshly and swiftly, ultimately forcing Plaintiff to leave the firm. Ms. Cruz, on the other hand, continues to enjoy the supervisory position she has held for some thirteen years without facing any consequences.
Marin alleges his supervisor Cruz frequently questioned his sexual orientation and ridiculed his race. But the most brazen alleged racial incident occurred while he was assigned as a floater and traveled in support of the Apple v. Samsung case. During a staff dinner, Cruz allegedly used the term “re-n***er” as a racist pun to describe a staff member that had changed their mind about sharing food.
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When Marin complained about Cruz’s behavior, he alleges he was immediately sent home from the assignment — and the lucrative overtime that went with it — and put on less desirable cases. Marin alleges that a pattern of retaliation began and he was passed over for a promotion from a floater secretary to a permanent, stationary position.
When reached for comment, Peter Calamari, managing partner of Quinn Emanuel’s New York office, said:
This complaint is utterly without merit. It relates to a private conversation over three years ago among a small group of staff members. At no time did the firm take any adverse action against the plaintiff, and he left the firm on his own accord nearly a year later.
We’ll be following the case as it develops.
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Read the full complaint — filed on Marin’s behalf by D. Maimon Kirschenbaum, who has also represented document reviewers suing Biglaw for overtime pay — on the next page.
Ex-Secretary Accuses Quinn Emanuel of Racial Discrimination [Law.com]
Kathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).
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