A former associate in Dechert’s Boston office has sued the firm, claiming it fired him because he used Family and Medical Leave Act time to care for his children and mentally ill wife. His complaint alleges “the culture for men at Dechert is a ‘macho’ one.” On Tuesday, Ariel Ayanna filed suit in the District of Massachusetts, alleging the firm retaliated against him for taking leave time under the act. His complaint also alleges the firm violated a Massachusetts sex discrimination law and the Americans With Disabilities Act’s bar on discrimination against someone due to an association with a disabled person.
The suit, Ayanna v. Dechert, 10-cv-12155, asks the court to award lost wages and benefits, damages for emotional distress, punitive damages plus attorney’s fees and costs. In the complaint, Mr. Ayanna states he worked in Dechert’s financial services practice group from Sept. 11, 2006, until Dec. 17, 2008. He claims he received a positive review during his first year at Dechert and a $30,000 bonus for 2007. During his second year, his wife became pregnant with their second child and “her condition deteriorated to the point that she attempted suicide,” according to the complaint. The complaint states that Mr. Ayanna’s wife suffers from a variety of mental health disorders.
