DLA Piper Prevails in Discrimination Lawsuit by Ex-Associate

DLA Piper did not discriminate against an ex-associate who sued the firm after she was fired while pregnant, a Manhattan jury found Monday.

The law firm prevailed after arguing that non-discriminatory reasons led to Anisha Mehta’s termination, including deficiencies in her performance. “The risk had simply become to great to keep her,” DLA Piper partner Brett Ingerman said during closing arguments.

Mehta sued DLA Piper in June 2023, alleging bias caused the termination of her contract six days after she submitted a maternity leave request. Her attorneys pointed to the firm’s lack of documentation regarding communications between DLA Piper partners ...