In terms of being an attention-grabber in the court of public opinion parental discrimination lawsuit "Savignac v Jones Day" is the next "Tolton v Jones Day." The latter had been a gender discrimination lawsuit. Eventually it had been killed off by both plaintiff and defense legal teams. But before that, it was the litigation media followed like hawks.
So, a ruling by US District Randolph Moss against the plaintiffs - married couple Mark C. Savignac and Julia Sheketoff - this week on "Savignac" could most damage them in the court of public opinion. That's because, as Reuters Legal reports, he rejected the filing of an amended version of the lawsuit.
That amended version would have listed Jones Day partner Traci L. Lovitt, Practice Leader for Issues and Appeals, as a defendant. Because there is speculation that Lovitt will succeed current Jones Day Managing Partner Stephen J. Brogan Lovitt is clickbait. Had she been included as a defendant "Savignac" would have been even more of a magnet for media attention. Currently the issue of parental-leave rights for the father is what has made it so sticky.
Incidentally, repeatedly Jones Day has complained that the plaintiffs are attempting to try the case in, you got it, the court of public opinion. The two seem to be genuises at public relations. Should their legal careers collapse they likely could thrive in the field of promotions.
Judge Moss declared that the filing of the amendment violated procedural rules. They had done that without getting permission of the Court or the defendants.
If the litigation gets to trial that could break open Jones Day's black-box culture. Watchers of "Tolton" anticipated that if the lawsuit wound up in the courtroom.
Both sides are doing the litigation pro se.
Savignac and Sheketoff had been clerks for Justice Steven Breyer at the US Supreme Court. Jones Day makes it its business to hire on fomer SCOTUS clerks, paying them hefty bonuses.
The legal team at Jones Day for this lawsuit is headed by Lovitt.
Connect with Editor-in-Chief Jane Genova at janegenova374@gmail.com. In the past she had covered several trials in which Jones Day teams handled the defense.
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