A former acting general counsel and chief compliance officer’s gender discrimination lawsuit against her ex-employer is raising questions about her use of alleged privileged and confidential information learned during the job as the basis for her complaint.

But, as a public policy matter, such pleadings must be allowed “because [otherwise], no woman working professionally as an attorney would be able to protect herself from an employer’s gender discrimination and retaliation,” the plaintiff, Jennifer Fischman, said last week in a memo of law opposing a motion to dismiss.