Quinn Emanuel Ex-IT Director Settles Spanish Ancestry Bias Suit

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP and a former regional information technology director who says he was subjected to harassment and other bias because of his Spanish ancestry and retaliation, including being demoted, for complaining settled his lawsuit, New York federal court records show.

The US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Thursday entered an order dismissing Nicholas Mondelo’s case against the firm and chief information officer David Eskanos. The parties advised the court that all claims “have been settled in principle,” the order said. It set a period of 30 days for either side to seek to reopen the case in the event their settlement isn’t consummated.

Terms of the settlement weren’t included in the court record and counsel for the parties didn’t immediately respond Thursday to Bloomberg Law’s requests for details.

Mondelo sued Quinn Emanuel, Eskanos, and former New York managing partner Peter Calamari in March 2021 under 42 U.S.C. §1981, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law. He said he was hired as the firm’s regional IT director for the US East Coast and Midwest in April 2015 and fired in 2019. His discharge came less than 10 days after unrelenting harassment by Eskanos, including being called a “spic,” caused him to have a breakdown in May 2019 that resulted in his involuntarily commitment in a New Jersey medical facility for three days, the suit said.

Judge Colleen McMahon dismissed the claims against Calamari Feb 22. The suit failed to allege an anti-Spanish intent caused Calamari not to intervene to end the harassment, the judge said.

Joseph & Kirschenbaum LLP represented Mondelo. Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP represented Quinn Emanuel and Eskanos.

The case is Mondelo v. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, S.D.N.Y., No. 1:21-cv-02512, case dismissed 5/12/22.