The legal recruiter Major, Lindsey & Africa is suing a former partner who last month joined a competitor’s new outpost in Washington, a move her lawyer said was partly spurred by her desire to escape what she claimed was a “hostile, male dominated work environment” that was tolerated without consequences.

Major Lindsey’s lawsuit was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against Lauren Drake, who jumped to rival recruiter MLegal Group. The complaint, brought by the management-side firm Littler Mendelson, alleged Drake has violated a noncompete provision in her employment contract with Major, Lindsey & Africa, or MLA. The suit was accompanied by a request for an injunction.