Troutman Pepper, Black Lawyer to Try Mediation Before Bias Trial

Troutman Pepper Locke and a Black former attorney may be headed for trial on allegations that discrimination affected her billable hours and her bias complaints caused her firing, but first they’ll try to settle.

That was the outcome of a hearing Wednesday before Judge Jia M. Cobb of the US District Court for the District of Columbia in Gita Sankano’s lawsuit against the firm, previously known as Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP, and partner Brian Iwashyna. Cobb also stated her reasons for partly denying summary judgment in the case on Sept. 30.

Sankano’s lawyer Michael Willemin of Wigdor LLP and ...