Amended Gender Discrimination Case Brings The Real Scoop On Jones Day Compensation

It may seem like we spend an inordinate amount of time piling on Jones Day; I mean, we’ve written eight stories (and counting) about allegations of gender bias at the firm. But the initial complaint was juicy, alleging a “fraternity culture” at the firm and unequal pay behind the firm’s notorious “black box” compensation system, and so much has been happening in the case with more women being added as named plaintiffs and/or opting into the class action that we simply had to write more stories.

On Monday, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint against the Biglaw giant. In addition to named plaintiffs Nilab Rahyar Tolton and Andrea Mazingo, who were identified in the earlier version of the complaint, three of the four anonymous Jane Doe plaintiffs have chosen to reveal themselves. Meredith Williams and Jaclyn Stahl were associates in the firm’s Irvine office, while Saira Draper worked for Jones Day in Atlanta. The decision to publicly identify themselves has been a fraught one, with Jones Day pushing for the names of the plaintiffs to become public. In a statement about the complaint, the plaintiffs say they were bolstered by others coming forward:

“It is time to do away with the stigmatization of women who challenge discrimination and harassment in their workplaces. We will not stay silent; we will not be bullied. And we are empowered by our solidarity.”

One plaintiff, Jane Doe 4, has maintained her anonymity. In previous filings, plaintiffs analogized their position to that of a whistleblower.

Additionally, plaintiffs formally picked up former New York associate, Katrina Henderson, as a named plaintiff. Another woman, Jessica Jardine Wilkes, was the first non-named plaintiff to opt-in to the lawsuit earlier this month.

The amended complaint alleges the firm’s notorious “black box” compensation system is used to pay women less than men at the firm. And, as reported by Law.com, the amended complaint brings receipts:

The seven women now on the complaint also provided details of their salaries and bonuses during their time at the firm, illustrating that their pay did not compare with the Cravath scale. They said Jones Day’s “black box” system of compensation allows the firm to depart from its stated commitment to reward top performers with pay that matches market leaders.

So, just how much does compensation at Jones Day diverge from the Cravath scale? Well, the complaint provides helpful charts to show just how underpaid plaintiffs were at Jones Day.

While all plaintiffs were paid below market all the years they were at the firm, you can see the issue gets more pronounced the more senior the associate. This isn’t surprising as the firm has historically enjoyed the ability to say it at least meets the market for first-year associates (never mind those pesky bonuses) in its recruitment efforts, and once the associate is ensconced in the firm, the salary crunch is on.

Regardless of what happens on the merits of the case, in publicly revealing their salary information, plaintiffs have dramatically increased the transparency of Jones Day. Something anyone considering working at the firm should be appreciative of.

Earlier coverage: Jones Day Hit With Explosive Gender Discrimination Case
Jones Day Facing Second Class-Action Lawsuit Over ‘Fraternity Culture’ Of The Firm
Partner Whose Behavior Features Prominently In Jones Day Gender Discrimination Lawsuit Is Out At The Firm
Jones Day Wants Gender Discrimination Plaintiffs To Reveal Themselves To The Public
Plaintiffs Throw Shade At Jones Day In Gender Discrimination Lawsuit
Gender Discrimination Lawsuit Against Jones Day Gets Yet Another Plaintiff
Gender Discrimination Lawsuit Against Jones Day Dropped — Well, One Of Them At Least
Jones Day Gender Discrimination Case Spreads To New York

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Kathryn 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).