Nixon Peabody Sued for Alleged Harassment

Nixon Peabody issued a written statement denouncing Har's claims: ''The firm is committed to providing an open and inclusive workplace. It does not comment on pending litigation, but resolutely denies Mr. Har's charge of discrimination and will vigorously respond to it in court.'' Nixon Peabody also refers all readers to its diversity policy.

Har worked for Nixon Peabody in their San Francisco office before moving to the Los Angeles office in September 2007. He says the Los Angeles office had a ''drastically different working environment'' and that select attorneys there ''demonstrated inappropriate and offensive behavior towards ethnic minorities, women and homosexuals.'


As stated earlier, Nixon Peabody denies all of Har's claims. Har was fired in February of last year. The reason Nixon Peabody gave for Har's discharge was for an alleged assault against a fellow associate at a firm event. Rudy Salo, the attorney involved in the event, accused Har during the happy hour of stealing his car. Har insists what transpired was merely a ''verbal spat'' and claims that Salo had two friends support Salo's version of the argument saying that Har attacked him.

Salo declined comment, referring reporters to Nixon Peabody's media relations director.

After leaving Nixon Peabody last year, Har found a job with Holland & Knight back in San Francisco, but is not letting a new job stop him from pursuing this lawsuit. Har claims he was subject to a partner's inappropriate and offensive sexual comments which were also homophobic in nature. He also claims he is not the only one discriminated against and said some of the male attorneys often said offense things to or about female coworkers.

Along with feeling sexually discriminated against, Har also claims he was discriminated against because he is Asian-American. He claims that other male Asian-American attorneys at the firm have been treated unfairly.

Har is suing for damages for discrimination, wrongful discharge, misrepresentation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other things, in recompense for the humiliation he suffered and the earnings he lost.

Har has not yet specified an amount, but he is asking or general, special, compensatory, and punitive damages.