• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

2

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

3

China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation

1

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

2

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

3

China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation
MPW

Silicon Valley attorneys: Already seeing a ‘Pao effect’

By
Vivian Giang
Vivian Giang
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Vivian Giang
Vivian Giang
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 8, 2015, 5:19 AM ET
Closing Arguments Made In The Discrimination Case Pao v. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers LLC
Ellen Pao, former junior partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, exits state court in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. After two days of closing arguments, a month of finger-pointing testimony from both sides, the day of reckoning for the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has finally come in the sex-bias trial that has gripped Silicon Valley. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by David Paul Morris — Bloomberg via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

It’s been nearly two weeks since Ellen Pao lost her lawsuit against Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Bryers, and chatter of how the verdict will affect women in the tech industry hasn’t died down. What will happen to Chia Hong and Tina Huang who filed separate lawsuits against their former employers, Facebook and Twitter? Will Pao’s case discourage other women from coming forward?

Fortune interviewed a few plaintiffs’ attorneys specializing in employment law in Silicon Valley, and the consensus was that they already are seeing a “Pao effect.” More women, they say, are coming forward with complaints of discrimination since Pao’s case was first filed, and even with the verdict, the numbers haven’t dropped. In fact, they claim that their clients seem more determined to speak up.

Kay Lucas, of the San Francisco-based The Lucas Firm, says her law office is receiving twice as many calls from tech workers as they were before the case. “To give you an idea of what we get, we probably are getting 40 [calls a week] now,” compared to 20 prior to the case, said Lucas. Noreen Farrell, executive director of the San Francisco-based Equal Rights Advocates, a women’s rights advocacy organization, says Pao’s case “vastly increased” the number of women in tech contacting the organization’s advice and counseling hotline. “I see an activism, an interest, and concern like I never have before and that’s a good thing,” Farrell said.

Kelly Dermody, a partner at Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, says she has been handling gender discrimination cases in Silicon Valley for more than a decade. Although the Pao case hasn’t increased the number of clients, she says she has found that women who contact her are more determined to speak up and challenge unfair practices. “It’s interesting because [Ellen Pao] lost the jury, but in the court of public opinion outside the jury, she had a lot of fans,” said Dermody. “And I think a lot of people felt that in some way, by her telling her story, something very critical happened in the culture out here.”

The lawyers also say their clients are more motivated now to try to quietly resolve their issues with their employers. “These women are not particularly angry; they’re ambitious. They’re not victims; they want to be participants,” Lucas said. “I think there is an awareness now that if we can resolve this without anything having to be filed publicly, the companies are better off and [my clients] are better off. So we do very significant early negotiations. It’s a win-win. It’s a better solution for everybody.”

During Pao’s trial, Lucas says she counseled three mediations — where the parties negotiate a settlement with a professional mediator present, usually a former judge — and two of the mid-sized Silicon Valley tech firms she negotiated with settled. Lucas says Pao’s case was never mentioned during the negotiation process, but she does think “there was a consciousness about not wanting to be in litigation probably on everyone’s part.” On average, Lucas says 60 percent of her mediations lead to a settlement.

She added that most of the complaints revolve around being excluded from important gatherings or not being paid as much as their male counterparts. “Often, [women] don’t know [they’re getting paid less] until they get high enough [in the company] and if it’s a publicly-traded company, some of that information gets out,” she said.

Dermody observed that in Silicon Valley, many startups grow “really quickly without a lot of attention to human resources.” The result is, “you have a lot of young managers who make young managers’ mistakes,” such as excluding women or having a homogeneous culture at the top. “In Silicon Valley, [they’re] learning the lessons of the 70s all over again.” She says the number one complaint she’s heard from women in tech during and after the trial is that women are tired of being undervalued because of their gender.

“They are paid less than comparable to men, overlooked for opportunities, and not considered a ‘fit’ for promotion while men are hand-picked and groomed for positions,” she said, “Culturally, they are made to feel like unwelcome visitors in someone else’s house, and at worst, are sexualized and harassed.”

Farrell recently spoke to a concerned female CEO in the Bay Area who said it felt like the “Wild West” in her office because there were so many “blurred lines about appropriate and inappropriate behaviors.” “She was very concerned about the [legal liability] and wanted to know what she should do about it,” Farrell recalled.

The attorneys Fortune interviewed stressed that gender discrimination cases have been on the rise for years. It’s clear, though, that the case has inspired soul-searching within the tech industry. It’s been a “catalyst for the incredible exchange of information for what happens in a lot of workplaces,” said Farrell, but it’s important to remember “no cause rises or falls on a single case.” Pao’s case clearly won’t cause wholesale changes in the industry overnight, but if these lawyers’ experiences are representative, Pao’s case can be credited for starting the process.

About the Author
By Vivian Giang
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

Around 2.6 million fewer Americans have affordable healthcare access plan as affordability becomes top issue ahead of midterms
North AmericaAmerican Politics
Around 2.6 million fewer Americans have affordable healthcare access plan as affordability becomes top issue ahead of midterms
By The Associated Press and Ali SwensonJuly 7, 2026
11 hours ago
bernie
PoliticsBook Excerpt
Bernie Sanders told me exactly why he had to run. The Democratic Party still isn’t listening
By Tad DevineJuly 7, 2026
14 hours ago
Indra Nooyi sitting in a chair behind a red background.
SuccessCareers
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
1 day ago
p
PoliticsPope
Pope Leo marks July 4 at migrant graves, not U.S. celebrations
By Nicole Winfield, Andrea Rosa and The Associated PressJuly 4, 2026
4 days ago
How a third-generation Texas oilman transformed an organic farming company into a leading advanced nuclear startup at a small Christian college
EnergyNuclear
How a third-generation Texas oilman transformed an organic farming company into a leading advanced nuclear startup at a small Christian college
By Jordan BlumJuly 4, 2026
4 days ago
JPMorgan built a pipeline of female CEO candidates that was the envy of Wall Street. How did it fall apart?
MPWMost Powerful Women
JPMorgan built a pipeline of female CEO candidates that was the envy of Wall Street. How did it fall apart?
By Emma HinchliffeJuly 4, 2026
4 days ago

Most Popular

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
Success
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
1 day ago
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
3 days ago
China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation
Asia
China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation
By Nicholas GordonJuly 7, 2026
19 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 6, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 6, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 6, 2026
2 days ago
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
4 days ago
The man who ran Bernie's campaign says Democrats are still making the same mistakes with Democratic Socialists, and they should laud Mamdani's win
Politics
The man who ran Bernie's campaign says Democrats are still making the same mistakes with Democratic Socialists, and they should laud Mamdani's win
By Catherina GioinoJuly 6, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.