An ex-associate in Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld’s New York office has sued the law firm, claiming Akin Gump discriminated against her when it fired her for purported economic reasons in 2009.
Tameka Simmons, who said she was the only black female attorney in the New York office before being let go, accused the 800-lawyer firm of creating “pretextual” economic reasons for her firing. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District, also accuses the firm of denying Ms. Simmons mentoring, supervision and work opportunities promised when she was recruited from Debevoise & Plimpton in 2007.
