Technology

Lawyer: Woman Behind Silicon Valley Suit Sought Big Payout

Published

10 years ago

March 24, 2015

Ellen Pao leaves the Civic Center Courthouse during a lunch break in her trial Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015, in San Francisco. Pau, the current interim chief of the news and social media site Reddit, is seeking $16 milion in her suit against prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers, alleging she was sexually harassed by male officials. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

SUDHIN THANAWALA, Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A former female junior partner suing a prestigious Silicon Valley venture capital firm complained about gender bias to get a big payout, not to aid women she said were facing workplace discrimination, a defense lawyer told jurors Tuesday.

Lawyer Lynne Hermle made the claim in a packed courtroom during her closing argument in the lawsuit filed by Ellen Pao against Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Pao made the complaint because she realized she wasn’t succeeding at the company, Hermle said.

“The complaints of Ellen Pao were made for only one purpose — a huge payout for team Ellen,” the lawyer said.

The suit has shined a light on gender imbalance in the technology and venture capital sectors and led some companies to re-examine their cultures and practices — even before the jury reaches a verdict.

Pao’s lawyer made his closing argument earlier, telling jurors the company had different standards for men and women that led to the denial of a promotion to Pao despite her accomplishments.

“The evidence in this case compels the conclusion that men were judged by one standard and women by another,” lawyer Alan Exelrod said. “The leaders of Kleiner Perkins are the ones responsible for this double standard.”

The lawsuit claims Pao was fired in 2012 after complaining about gender discrimination.

Pao’s attorneys have portrayed her as the victim of a male-dominated culture at Kleiner Perkins where she was subjected to retaliation by a male colleague with whom she had an affair and a discussion about pornography aboard a private plane. Pao also testified about receiving a book of erotic poetry from a male partner at the company.

Exelrod called the firm a “boys club” and referenced trial testimony and emails from prominent venture capitalist John Doerr, a partner at Kleiner Perkins, to show that Pao had been successful at the company.

“This case should be about what Ms. Pao did for Kleiner Perkins,” Exelrod said.

Among the accomplishments was convincing the firm to invest in a company that later enjoyed great success and helping two companies merge, Exelrod said.

Exelrod said two male colleagues of Pao had been promoted, even though one was called confrontational and another was accused of having “sharp elbows,” an apparent reference to his treatment of other workers.

Exelrod mentioned the affair, discussion about pornography on the plane, and the book of poetry in his closing argument. He accused Kleiner Perkins of trying to smear Pao as a woman who had a sexual relationship at work by characterizing her relationship with the male colleague as a consensual affair gone wrong.

Pao has said the colleague hounded her into the relationship and lied about his wife having left him.

Kleiner Perkins has said Pao was a chronic complainer who twisted facts and circumstances in her lawsuit and had a history of conflicts with colleagues that contributed to the decision to let her go.

Hermle showed jurors a slide with comments from Pao’s work reviews that called her “territorial,” and “not a good teammate.”

The lawyer said the men promoted over Pao had prior venture capital experience and had founded companies, unlike Pao.

A judge ruled over the weekend that Pao can seek punitive damages that could add millions of dollars to a possible verdict in her favor. She is seeking $16 million in lost wages and bonuses.

Experts say Pao’s case has increased awareness about seemingly small indignities faced by women in the technology and venture capital sectors. Consultant Freada Kapor Klein said she has recently been contacted by more than a dozen venture capital and technology companies asking her how they can improve the environment for women.

Klein, whose firm specializes in addressing bias in the workplace, declined to name the firms but said they approached her as a result of the Pao case.

During her testimony, Pao told jurors that her lawsuit was intended in part to create equal opportunities for women in the venture capital sector.

Paul Gompers, a Harvard business school professor, was hired by Kleiner Perkins to conduct research about the venture capital industry. He testified that Kleiner Perkins placed more women on the boards of companies in which it invested than any of the 3,000 venture capital firms that he reviewed.

A study released last year by Babson College in Massachusetts found that women filled just 6 percent of partner-level positions at 139 venture capital firms in 2013, down from 10 percent in 1999.

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California Black Media

California Launches New Homepage @ CA.gov

On Oct .4, the Governor’s office announced that the state has launched a new revamped digital portal at CA.gov where Californians have access to “hundreds of state services and programs.” “This overhaul is the latest milestone in the state’s ongoing digital strategy to improve user experience, accessibility, and service delivery for millions of Californians,” read a press release.

Published

2 days ago

October 15, 2024

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

On Oct .4, the Governor’s office announced that the state has launched a new revamped digital portal at CA.gov where Californians have access to “hundreds of state services and programs.”

“This overhaul is the latest milestone in the state’s ongoing digital strategy to improve user experience, accessibility, and service delivery for millions of Californians,” read a press release.

“A big part of the work we’re doing to build a “California for All” is rooted in how accessible our government is to the people. As part of our ongoing work to connect people to their government, today we’re introducing a new CA.gov — California’s ‘homepage’ that serves as a portal to state services and programs,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.

State Chief Information Officer and California Technology Department Director Liana Bailey-Crimmin said, “We will continue to ensure timely and accurate government information is just a click away. Whether you’re looking for assistance with essential services or want to learn about what the Golden State is doing for climate action, new business development, or California government – this site has it.”

“Using advanced technology, the site has a greatly improved search feature, works well on mobile devices and meets modern web standards. The previous version of CA.gov was launched in 2017, and as user needs and technology evolved, the state implemented the work to revamp it,” Bailey-Crimmin added.

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Business

Google’s New Deal with California Lawmakers and Publishers Will Fund Newsrooms, Explore AI

Gov. Gavin Newsom, California lawmakers and some newspaper publishers last week finalized a $172 million deal with tech giant Google to support local news outlets and artificial intelligence innovation. This deal, the first of its kind in the nation, aims to invest in local journalism statewide over the next five years. However, the initiative is different from a bill proposed by two legislators, news publishers and media employee unions requiring tech giants Google and Meta to split a percentage of ad revenue generated from news stories with publishers and media outlets.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 1, 2024

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

This deal, the first of its kind in the nation, aims to invest in local journalism statewide over the next five years. However, the initiative is different from a bill proposed by two legislators, news publishers and media employee unions requiring tech giants Google and Meta to split a percentage of ad revenue generated from news stories with publishers and media outlets. Under this new deal, Google will commit $55 million over five years into a new fund administered by the University of California, Berkeley to distribute to local newsrooms. In this partnership, the State is expected to provide $70 over five years toward this initiative. Google also has to pay a lump sum of $10 million annually toward existing grant programs that fund local newsrooms.

The State Legislature and the governor will have to approve the state funds each year. Google has agreed to invest an additional $12.5 million each year in an artificial intelligence program. However, labor advocates are concerned about the threat of job losses as a result of AI being used in newsrooms.

Julie Makinen, board chairperson of the California News Publishers Association, acknowledged that the deal is a sign of progress.

“This is a first step toward what we hope will become a comprehensive program to sustain local news in the long term, and we will push to see it grow in future years,” said Makinen.

However, the deal is “not what we had hoped for when set out, but it is a start and it will begin to provide some help to newsrooms across the state,” she said.

Regina Brown Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media, said the deal is a commendable first step that beats the alternative: litigation, legislation or Google walking from the deal altogether or getting nothing.

“This kind of public-private partnership is unprecedented. California is leading the way by investing in protecting the press and sustaining quality journalism in our state,” said Brown Wilson. “This fund will help news outlets adapt to a changing landscape and provide some relief. This is especially true for ethnic and community media journalists who have strong connections to their communities.”

Although the state partnered with media outlets and publishers to secure the multi-year deal, unions advocating for media workers argued that the news companies and lawmakers were settling for too little.

Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) proposed a bill earlier this year that aimed to hold tech companies accountable for money they made off news articles. But big tech companies pushed back on bills that tried to force them to share profits with media companies.

McGuire continues to back efforts that require tech companies to pay media outlets to help save jobs in the news industry. He argued that this new deal, “lacks sufficient funding for newspapers and local media, and doesn’t fully address the inequities facing the industry.”

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U.S. DOT Awards California Nearly $150M for EV Charging and Fueling Infrastructure

The United States Department of Transportation has awarded $149.7 million to California to build its zero-emission vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced last week. “Decarbonizing the transportation and goods movement sectors is essential for fighting the climate crisis and protecting public health in communities along busy corridors,” said Padilla. The funding includes $100 million for medium and heavy-duty zero emissions vehicles. The funding is being managed by the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program under the Federal Highway Administration (FHA).

Published

1 month ago

September 11, 2024

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

“Decarbonizing the transportation and goods movement sectors is essential for fighting the climate crisis and protecting public health in communities along busy corridors,” said Padilla.

The funding includes $100 million for medium and heavy-duty zero emissions vehicles. The funding is being managed by the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program under the Federal Highway Administration (FHA).

The federal agency was created by the bipartisan infrastructure law to fund development projects. The state’s Department of Transportation will receive $102.4 million for its West Coast Truck Charging and Fueling Corridor Project. The charging and fueling stations will be developed for zero-emissions medium and heavy-duty vehicles along 2,500 miles of key freight corridors in California, Oregon, and Washington. The project aims to transport goods between major ports and freight centers and agricultural regions along the West Coast.

Several Democratic leaders urged U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to support the zero-emissions project. The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program also aims to deploy electric vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure in publicly accessible locations to help underserved and disadvantaged communities.

“To successfully meet California’s critical climate goals, we need to scale up our charging and fueling infrastructure up and down the state through transformative projects like the West Coast Truck Charging and Fueling Corridor Project,” Padilla added.

Additional government agencies and organizations in California were awarded up to $15 million to invest in sustainable transportation infrastructure. They include the Fort Independence Indian Community, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.