A former IT director of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan can advance his suit against the firm alleging discrimination based on his Spanish origin, ruled a New York federal judge on Tuesday.

Ruling on a motion to dismiss, U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon found that Nicholas Mondelo, who previously handled IT for the firm’s East Coast and Midwest operations, had properly outlined allegations of a hostile work environment and retaliatory behavior against the firm and former national IT director David Eskanos.