ON BACKGROUND
On April 2nd, Wigdor and Zipin, Amster & Greenberg, LLC filed a lawsuit on behalf of our client, Gita Sankano, against the preeminent legal recruiting agency, Major, Lindsey & Africa (“MLA”), and senior recruiters Randi Lewis, Andy Ufberg and Eliza Stoker. As described in the attached Complaint, after learning that Ms. Sankano, a Black female victim of race discrimination, challenged her former employer in an effort to vindicate her federally protected civil rights, MLA – which touts itself as a firm dedicated to advancing diversity – immediately blackballed her, lied to her about potential employment opportunities and refused to work with her. MLA’s senior recruiters actually wrote – in emails that are imbedded in the Complaint – that MLA would “not work with her [Ms. Sankano]” because she sought to vindicate her federally protected civil rights but filing against Troutman. Even before she filed, Ms. Lewis tried to convince Ms. Sankano (again, this is in writing), that she should not stand up against the race discrimination she experienced at Troutman.
As alleged in the Complaint, MLA’s despicable conduct is a perfect example of why people of color continue to face abhorrent discrimination in the workplace and in society at large. Indeed, one of the most significant reasons that systemic race discrimination persists is because people who observe and experience it stay silent because they are afraid that they are going to suffer retaliation if they say anything. As the premier recruiting firm for big law and large corporations, MLA should stand with victims of race discrimination and be a leader in the fight against discrimination in all of its forms. Instead, as described herein, it has proven to be an accomplice to it. Moreover, MLA’s conduct is completely antithetical to its obligations to the law firms and companies for which it recruits. Specfifically, rather than let its clients choose from amongst the most qualified candidates, MLA makes the unlawful decision for them that minorities who speak out against discrimination are undeserving of employment. As such, Ms. Sankano filed today’s lawsuit to: (i) warn law firms and companies about MLA’s unlawful conduct; and (ii) call upon law firms and companies not to work with MLA. Indeed, If MLA will not work with minorities who have the courage to speak out against discrimination, law firms and corporations should not work with MLA.
ON THE RECORD STATEMENT FROM MICHAEL J. WILLEMIN, PARTNER, WIGDOR LLP
“Anyone with common sense knows that the fear of retaliation is one of the major reasons that acts of discrimination and harassment are underreported and continue to persist in the workplace and society at large. Individuals and companies that punish people for standing up against discrimination, like the Defendants in this case, put the sad truth to that fear and are, in their own way, responsible for the prevalence of discrimination in this country. No law firm or company should want to work with an organization that operates like MLA did in this instance.”
If you’d like to discuss this matter further, please contact mwillemin@wigdorlaw.com
To read the full complaint, click here:
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