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Ellen Pao signals intent to appeal lost Kleiner Perkins gender discrimination case

Ellen Pao signals intent to appeal lost Kleiner Perkins gender discrimination case

By Rich McCormick

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Former venture capitalist and current head of Reddit, Ellen Pao, sued former firm Kleiner Perkins for alleged gender discrimination in a landmark case earlier this year. A jury found the company not liable on all claims in March, but it appears the ex-venture capitalist isn't done with the case — Pao has reportedly filed a notice of appeal, indicating her desire to contest the decision in court.

It should be noted that today's filing is simply the first step in the appeal process, signaling her intent to appeal, as opposed to the actual appeal itself. She now has 40 days to file a brief indicating on what grounds she would appeal the ruling. If she does take the case back to court through the appeal process, Pao stands to lose almost a million dollars — defendant Kleiner Perkins had previously offered to waive $972,814.50 in legal fees if she agreed not to appeal the jury's decision. Pao was originally seeking $16 million in lost wages and up to $144 million in punitive damages from the company.

In a statement given to The Verge, Kleiner Perkins reiterated that "the 12-member jury found decisively in favor of KPCB on all four claims." The company advised against a potential appeal, saying "we remain committed to gender diversity in the workplace and believe that women in technology would be best served by focusing on this issue outside of continued litigation."

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