Sexual Harassment Trial Pits Paralegal Against Calif. Lawyer

Lawyer Thomas Ostly and a former paralegal at his firm are battling each other in a contentious California jury trial. Allison Moreno claims that Ostly fired her when she refused to continue a sexual relationship with him. At trial Tuesday, Moreno sought to make the most of Ostly's odd decision to personally depose her. One observer said it was highly unusual for an accused attorney to take part in deposing the plaintiff in a sex harassment case and risks opening the gates to a major punitive damages award.

In April 2006, Oakland, Calif., lawyer Thomas Ostly was chatting via instant messages with a paralegal in his office.

“How do you record these i.m.s?” she asked him.

Featured Firms

Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates P.C.

75 Ponce De Leon Ave NE Ste 101

Atlanta, GA 30308

(470) 294-1674

www.garymartinhays.com

Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone

2 Oliver St #608

Boston, MA 02109

(857) 444-6468

www.marksalomone.com

Smith & Hassler

1225 N Loop W #525

Houston, TX 77008

(713) 739-1250

www.smithandhassler.com

Presented by BigVoodoo

More From ALM

Get this essential toolkit -- packed with expert guidance and solutions to help navigate the CTA’s requirements.

Corporate Transparency Act Resource Kit

Brought to you by Wolters Kluwer
Download Now

When you put profits first, you create a structure that allows success to flow throughout your firm.

Revenue, Profit, Cash: Managing Law Firms for Success

Brought to you by Juris Ledger
Download Now

There is no one-size-fits-all model for legal remote work, but there are some considerations that are important for every firm and legal department to address before choosing whether to adopt or update a remote work framework.

The Ultimate Guide to Remote Legal Work

Brought to you by Filevine
Download Now

Premium Subscription

With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas.
View Now

Team Accounts

Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team.
View Now

Bundle Subscriptions

Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. Our second option allows you to build your bundle and strategically select the content that pertains to your needs. Both options are priced the same.
View Now

From Data to Decisions

Dynamically explore and compare data on law firms, companies, individual lawyers, and industry trends.

Exclusive Depth and Reach.

Law.com Compass includes access to our exclusive industry reports, combining the unmatched expertise of our analyst team with ALM’s deep bench of proprietary information to provide insights that can’t be found anywhere else.

Big Pictures and Fine Details

Law.com Compass delivers you the full scope of information, from the rankings of the Am Law 200 and NLJ 500 to intricate details and comparisons of firms’ financials, staffing, clients, news and events.

Pennsylvania Legal Awards 2024

May 15, 2024
Philadelphia, PA

The Legal Intelligencer honors lawyers leaving a mark on the legal community in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Learn More

Consulting Leaders in Technology 2024

May 16, 2024
Dallas, TX

Consulting Magazine recognizes leaders in technology across three categories Leadership, Client Service and Innovation.

Learn More

Legal Innovation Awards 2024

May 23, 2024
London

Celebrate outstanding achievement in law firms, chambers, in-house legal departments and alternative business structures.

Learn More

Attorney

Truly exceptional Bergen County New Jersey Law Firm is growing and seeks strong plaintiff's personal injury Attorney with 5-7 years plaintif...

Apply Now ›

ASSOCIATE: Commercial Litigation

Epstein Becker & Green is seeking an associate to joins its Commercial Litigation practice in our Columbus or Cincinnati offices. Ca...

Apply Now ›

Business Attorney with 5+ years experience -- Florida

Job Opportunity: Location: Prestigious Florida Law Firm seeks to hire a Business attorney with at least 5 years of experience for their Ft. ...

Apply Now ›

Clifford Law Offices, PC

04/29/2024
The National Law Journal

Professional Announcement

View Announcement ›

MELICK & PORTER, LLP

04/15/2024
Connecticut Law Tribune

MELICK & PORTER, LLP PROMOTES CONNECTICUT PARTNERS HOLLY ROGERS, STEVEN BANKS, and ALEXANDER AHRENS

View Announcement ›

Apruzzese, McDermott, Mastro & Murphy, P.C.

04/11/2024
New Jersey Law Journal

Professional Announcement

View Announcement ›

Sexual Harassment Trial Pits Paralegal Against Calif. Lawyer

Share with Email

Thank you for sharing!

Trending Stories

Featured Firms

More From ALM

Subscribe to Law.com