Cardwell V. Davis Polk And Wardwell Llp Et Al

Case Background

On November 04, 2019, Kaloma Cardwell (“Plaintiff”), a former associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (“Davis Polk” or the “Firm”), filed an employment discrimination and termination lawsuit alleging racial discrimination, retaliation, and other unlawful acts. The Defendants named in the suit include the Firm itself and several individuals associated with its management and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) group: Thomas Reid, John Bick, William Chudd, Harold Birnbaum, Daniel Brass, Brian Wolfe, and John H. Butler (collectively referred to as the “Management and M&A Defendants”). Cardwell also implicated Sophia Hudson and the aforementioned individuals as the “Individual Defendants.” Together, Davis Polk and the Individual Defendants constitute the “Defendants.” The case was filed in the United States District Court, New York Southern (Foley Square). The case was assigned to Judge Gregory H. Woods and referred to Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron for settlement. [Case number: 1:19cv10256]

Cause

Kaloma Cardwell worked as an associate at the Firm from September 2014 to August 2018. During his tenure, he experienced discriminatory treatment stemming from the Defendants’ actions. First, the Defendants subjected him to the Firm’s discriminatory performance review policies. Second, they treated him differently compared to similarly situated associates who either refrained from lodging discrimination complaints or were White or non-Black. Third, they ignored his complaints regarding