A lawsuit alleging disability discrimination filed by former Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP litigator Robert Gordon has been dismissed with prejudice, according to recent court filings. The case, which was being heard in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, saw Gordon claim that the esteemed law firm had failed to accommodate his acute stress disorder and other physical disabilities. A specific issue raised was the denial of Gordon’s request for reassignment away from his supervisor, Rory Lubin, by equity partner Stuart Miller, head of Gordon’s practice group.
The dismissal, as reported in Bloomberg Law, indicates that the parties involved have reached an agreement without going to trial. The details of this agreement have not been disclosed, and both parties have agreed not to pursue further litigation on the matter.
The initial lawsuit, filed in 2022, accused the firm of not meeting their obligations under disability accommodation laws. The specific allegations included a refusal to grant Gordon a reassignment away from his direct supervisor as a reasonable accommodation for his documented disabilities.
This case highlights the ongoing complexities and challenges faced by law firms in adequately addressing and accommodating the needs of employees with disabilities. For corporate legal departments and large law firms, it emphasizes the importance of having robust procedures and policies in place to handle such requests effectively and in compliance with the law.