Attorneys representing three ex-partners of Chadbourne & Parke in a sex discrimination lawsuit against the now-defunct law firm are seeking to dig into the personal email accounts of the Chadbourne leaders named in the suit, as well as emails of certain former partners who allegedly had disagreements with Chadbourne’s management committee.

The dispute is the latest battle in a $100 million discrimination case brought by three former Chadbourne partners, Kerrie Campbell, Mary Yelenick and Jaroslawa Zelinsky Johnson. The ex-partners and Chadbourne, now part of Norton Rose Fulbright, have been ordered to conduct limited discovery to determine if the three deserve protection under employment laws, or if their former status as partners of the firm disqualifies them from bringing the suit.