DLA Piper has received some good news from a United Kingdom employment tribunal. The firm was recently notified that all claims have been dismissed in a complaint made by a former UK partner that alleged she was fired because she got pregnant.
A press release obtained by ABA Journal said the tribunal ruled unanimously in dismissing the charges against Sarah Sweeney, who had dubbed the firm “an old boys’ club†in the complaint.
The firm made the following statement to the ABA Journal, “We are satisfied with the judgment and feel that our position has been completely vindicated. We were disappointed that the claim was brought in the first place.â€
The firm claimed Sweeney was fired as part of a restructuring designed to save money. Gavin Mansfield, who represented DLA Piper before the tribunal, had called Sweeney’s claims “exaggerated†and that they were designed to bolster her case.
DLA Piper is one of the world’s largest law firms with more than 3,700 lawyers in North America and Europe.