Biglaw

Former Partner Hits Biglaw Firm With Explosive Gender Discrimination Charge

The partner alleged women were rewarded for 'agreeing to sexual relationships with Manatt's male leadership.'

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A former partner at Manatt, Rebecca Torrey, filed a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing, on behalf of herself and those similarly situated alleging gender discrimination and retaliation at the Biglaw firm.

The charge, filed earlier this year, details an environment best described as a “boys’ club” that weighs “heavily in the favor of male partners.” As reported by Law360, Torrey alleges the compensation structure for partners is dictated by a group hand-selected by outgoing firm managing partner, William Quicksilver (earlier this year, the firm announced Donna Wilson is taking over as managing partner), and who rarely challenge his recommendations.

The firm pays equity partners an “entitlement” at one of six levels based on their projected profitability, plus a discretionary bonus, she claimed. It frequently assigns women to the lower levels of the entitlement scale regardless of their performance while evenly distributing men across the range, and does not make up these gaps in bonuses, she said.

This structure resulted in Manatt paying Torrey hundreds of thousands of dollars less than several male partners despite her generating more revenue for the firm, she alleged. Torrey alerted Quicksilver to the alleged discrimination and quit soon after he told her it was beneath her to think she was a victim of bias and suggested the now 57-year-old attorney “step aside to give younger women opportunities,” she said.

The charge alleges the pay structure that systematically undervalues the contributions of female partners is “symptomatic of a broader firm culture that devalues women.” And, wow, the allegations about the firm’s culture are deeply unsettling.

Torrey claims women at the firm are treated as sexual objects that male partners “compete” over:

Throughout my tenure at Manatt, the Firm’s male leadership countenanced and participated in a culture where women were treated as sexual objects first, and attorneys second. Men in Manatt’s leadership openly discussed the physical attributes of women, sought to hire the most attractive women, and frequently and openly engaged in sexual relationships with subordinate female attorneys and staff. Two male Division chairs would “compete” with each other by attempting to have sex with certain female employees before the other. Female employees were rewarded for agreeing to sexual relationships with Manatt’s male leadership with favorable reviews and increased compensation. Sexual conduct with female subordinates was an “open secret” among Manatt’s partners.

The charge goes on to allege, “Inappropriate sexual behavior is never corrected; instead, the firm either quietly settles the claims without notifying the partnership, or intimidates the accuser.”

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According to Law360, Torrey is being represented by David Sanford, who’s made a name for himself representing women suing Biglaw firms. As of yet, neither party has offered any additional comment on the charge.

headshotKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. 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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